The Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia’s approach to addressing domestic violence and other risk factors - The Lighthouse Project: Two Years later
The Lighthouse Project
In early 2021, the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia (“FCFCOA”) launched the Lighthouse Project in response to the escalating levels of family violence. Geared towards screening high risk families, the project aims to enhance overall outcomes, and operates out of the Adelaide, Brisbane Cairns, Canberra, Dandenong, Darwin, Hobart, Launceston, Melbourne, Newcastle, Parramatta, Rockhampton, Sydney, Townsville and Wollongong registries.
On 5 December 2022, the FCFCOA issued a press release showing that of all the parenting cases before the courts:
· 80% of matters involved incidents of family violence;
· 70% of matters involved either child abuse or the risk of child abuse;
· 58% of matters involved mental health issues resulting in harm to a child or putting a child at risk;
· 53% of matters involved incidents of drug, alcohol or substance misuse, resulting in harm to a child or putting a child at risk.
And of the matters before the court, there were four or more risk factors in 66% of them and almost 80% of all parenting cases filed in the financial year were referred to State or Territory child welfare agencies due to the risks alleged.
The Lighthouse Project now.
It has now been two years since the FCFCOA launched the Lighthouse project and over 17,000 parties have completed the initial Detection of Overall Risk Screen (“DOORS”) Triage process, with over 12,000 matters having been reviewed by the Lighthouse Projects Triage Counsellors and over 3,000 matters added to the Evatt List [A specialist family law list, which involves early information gathering and active case management for serious high-risk matters]
On 28 November 2024, the FCFCOA advised that the court’s data showed that of cases screened by the Lighthouse Project:
· 64% identifying that they had experienced family violence;
· 56% indicating child abuse or neglect;
· 34% indicating a mental health concern;
· 38% indicating alcohol and/or drug misuse.
The Courts have also reported that the majority of parties screened are reporting multiple risk factors in the risk screen, with 61% of all parties screened being initially classified as high risk.
How has the Lighthouse Project changed since its initial launch
In November 2023, the FCFCOA implemented sweeping enhancements to the existing Family DOORS Triage risk screen in November 2023 in order to more accurately identify the types of family violence present in a matter as well as focusing on improving the level of representation and understanding for the children involved in the proceedings.
The most notable of these changed, was retooling the Triage questions to identify instances of coercive control, to improve the Triage process’s ability to detect risks to children and determine whether existing parenting arrangements are working and appropriate.
The FCFCOA also expanded the scope of the Triage process by introducing a dedicated risk screen process for grandparents, aunts, uncles and other types of kinship carers, which has seen over 300 non-parent risk screens since its implementation.
The Lighthouse Project: Going Forward
The Court has announced that the Lighthouse Project, as part of the National Plan to End Violence against Women and Children 2022-2032, is currently funded until 30 June 2026, and that it is considering expanding into more remote and regional areas.
Voice Lawyers: Your Guide in Family Law Matters
This article is general in nature and is not legal advice. If you need help dealing with a parenting dispute or require assistance with a family law matter, Voice Lawyers hear you.
If you are experiencing or contemplating separation, we suggest you seek legal advice as early as you can, even if you do not intend to separate for a few months or even years. We offer a 90 minutes early separation strategy session Voice Lawyers — Divorce, Separation and Family Law to prepare and inform clients of the process. Every family’s situation is different, and advice tailored to your specific circumstances can assist you in achieving your best possible outcome. We can assist if you would like a second opinion.
We help people navigate the complexities of family law with confident, practical advice. You can contact us at office@voicelawyers.com or call 02 9261 1954 to book a consultation to speak with one of our lawyers.
By Enda Byrne