*Dirty Tricks in Family Law*

No kidding. 90%, huh?

*Dirty Tricks in Family Law*
By: Bettina Arndt

Herald Sun - Monday 12 Februeary 2007

...

Many of the women's groups are very nervous about new Family Relationship Centers (FRCs) set up particularly to deal with children's matters. The government has rightly concluded that caring for children after divorce is a relationship issue, not a legal one and that the previous adversarial system was disastrous for children. But that legal system served the interests of the punitive mother very well since it failed so dismally to enforce contact orders and allowed allegations of violence to be used to deny fathers contact with their children. Remember the 1999 magistrate's survey which found 90% of magistrates believed false AVO's were used as a tactic in family law cases "to deprive partners access to children"?

The article describes a few other tricks barristers have pulled. I could add one: Threatening ridiculous lawsuits as harassment and intimidation, but only when the couple is alone - then denying it in court. The threat is enhanced by saying her lawyer told her she could sue.
The barrister stands and questions the man: "There were no lawsuits threatened, isn't that right? You are lying to this court."
I got a taste of that one myself.

There must be some list of illegal stunts or dirty tricks somewhere.
What is surprising is, after years of this stuff, the magistrates and judges don't catch on... It really is their responsibility to seek the truth before making judgments.