Family Law Amendment (2014 Measures No. 1) Rules 2014
Select Legislative Instrument No. 213, 2014
We, Judges of the Family Court of Australia, make the following Rules.
Dated 17 December 2014
D Bryant CJ
J Faulkes J
M May J
A Ainslie-Wallace J
J Ryan J
J Stevenson J
M Le Poer Trench J
R Benjamin J
J Crisford J
S Austin J
S Moncrieff J
M Cleary J
W Johnston J
I Loughnan J
C Forrest J
M Kent J
K Macmillan J
M Aldridge J
J Walters J
S Duncanson J
P Tree J
J Hogan J
D Berman J
G Foster J
C Thornton J
H Hannam J
Judges of the Family Court
of Australia
Contents
1............ Name................................................................................................... 1
2............ Commencement................................................................................... 1
3............ Authority............................................................................................. 1
4............ Schedules............................................................................................ 1
Schedule 1—Amendments 2
Family Law Rules 2004 2
1 Name
These are the Family Law Amendment (2014 Measures No. 1) Rules 2014.
2 Commencement
These Rules commence on 1 January 2015.
3 Authority
These Rules are made under the Family Law Act 1975.
4 Schedules
Each instrument that is specified in a Schedule to these Rules is amended or repealed as set out in the applicable items in the Schedule concerned, and any other item in a Schedule to these Rules has effect according to its terms.
Schedule 1—Amendments
Family Law Rules 2004
1 At the end of Part 1.4
Add:
1.22 Methods of attaching the seal of the Court
The seal of the Court may be attached to a document:
(a) by hand; or
(b) by electronic means; or
(c) in any other way.
2 Subrule 2.04D(1)
Omit “A Notice of Child Abuse or Family Violence (Form 4)”, substitute “Form 4”.
3 Paragraph 2.04E(1)(c)
Omit “Notice of Child Abuse or Family Violence (Form 4)”, substitute “Form 4”.
4 After rule 11.03
Insert:
11.04 Certificate of vexatious proceedings order
(1) A request under subsection 102QC(1) of the Act for a certificate relating to a vexatious proceedings order must:
(a) be in writing; and
(b) include the following:
(i) the name and address of the person making the request;
(ii) the person’s interest in making the request.
(2) The request must be lodged in the Registry in which the vexatious proceedings order was made.
(3) For the purposes of paragraph 102QC(2)(b) of the Act, the certificate must specify the following information:
(a) the name of the person subject to the vexatious proceedings order;
(b) if applicable, the name of the person who applied for the vexatious proceedings order;
(c) the orders made by the court under subsection 102QB(2) of the Act.
Note: The certificate must also specify the date of the vexatious proceedings order: see paragraph 102QC(2)(a) of the Act.
5 Division 15.3.4
Repeal the Division.
6 Paragraph 16.06(1)(a)
Repeal the paragraph.
7 Paragraph 16.06(1)(b)
Repeal the paragraph, substitute:
(b) that the party has made appropriate inquiries to determine the attitude of the foreign country’s government to the taking of evidence by electronic communication; and
8 At the end of paragraphs 16.06(1)(c) and (d)
Add “and”.
9 Rule 17.03
Omit “87(11)(b) and 90KA(b)”, substitute “87(11)(b), 90KA(b) and 90UN(b),”.
10 Subrule 18.06(2) (at the end of table 18.5)
Add:
44
Chapter 26A
11 At the end of paragraph 20.04(d)
Add “or the Assessment Act”.
12 Rule 20.04 (at the end of the note)
Add “and section 79 of the Assessment Act”.
13 Rule 22.02 (note 3)
Omit “For the number of copies of a document to file, see rule 24.08.”.
14 Subrule 22.22(2) (note)
Repeal the note.
15 Rule 22.36 (note 2)
Repeal the note.
16 Rule 22.36 (note 3)
Omit “Note 3”, substitute “Note 2”.
17 Paragraph 24.01(1)(g)
Omit “include the following on the first page”, substitute “have a coversheet, in a form approved by the Principal Registrar, that includes the following”.
18 Subparagraph 24.01(1)(g)(iv)
Omit “document; and”, substitute “document.”.
19 Paragraph 24.01(1)(h)
Repeal the paragraph.
20 Rule 24.06 (note 1)
Omit “Note 1”, substitute “Note”.
21 Rule 24.06 (note 2)
Repeal the note.
22 Rule 24.08
Repeal the rule.
23 After paragraph 24.13(1)(b)
Insert:
(ba) if the case affects, or may affect, the welfare of a child—a child welfare officer of a State or Territory;
24 After Chapter 26
Insert:
Chapter 26A—Cases to which the Trans‑Tasman Proceedings Act 2010 applies
Summary of Chapter 26A
Chapter 26A sets out the rules about a case in a Family Court to which the Trans‑Tasman Proceedings Act 2010 applies. Delegation of the Family Court’s power in such cases is set out in Chapter 18 of these Rules.
The rules in Chapter 1 relating to the court’s general powers apply in all cases and override all other provisions in these Rules.
A word or expression used in this Chapter may be defined in the dictionary at the end of these Rules.
26A.01 Application of Division 34.4 of the Federal Court Rules 2011
Division 34.4 of the Federal Court Rules 2011, as modified by rule 26A.02 or an order, applies to a proceeding in a Family Court as if the rules in that Division were provisions of these Rules.
26A.02 Modification of the Federal Court Rules 2011
(1) For the purposes of rule 26A.01, Division 34.4 of the Federal Court Rules 2011 is modified as follows:
(a) a reference to an originating application is taken to be a reference to an Initiating Application;
(b) a reference to an interlocutory application is taken to be a reference to an Application in a Case;
(c) a reference to an application or subpoena being in accordance with a Form is to be disregarded.
(2) For the purposes of rule 26A.01, Division 34.4 of the Federal Court Rules 2011 is also modified in accordance with Table 26A.1.
Table 26A.1—Additional modifications of the Federal Court Rules 2011
Item
Provision
Omit
Substitute
1
Paragraph 34.63(1)(b)
rules 8.01 and 8.03
rule 2.01
2
Subparagraph 34.64(a)(ii)
rule 17.01
rule 5.01
3
Subrule 34.68(2)
the whole of the subrule
26A.03 Service of subpoena
A subpoena to which Division 2 of Part 5 of the Trans‑Tasman Proceedings Act 2010 applies must also be accompanied by an information sheet in a form approved by the Principal Registrar.
Note 1: Subsection 32(2) of the Trans‑Tasman Proceedings Act 2010 requires the subpoena to be accompanied by a copy of the order giving leave for service and a notice in the prescribed form.
Note 2: Section 33 of the Trans‑Tasman Proceedings Act 2010 requires the reasonable expenses of complying with the subpoena to be paid at the time of service of the subpoena or at some other reasonable time before compliance with the subpoena is required.
25 At the end of Chapter 27
Add:
Part 2—Transitional provisions relating to the Family Law Amendment (2014 Measures No. 1) Rules 2014
27.02 Application of Schedule 3 (itemised scale of costs)
Schedule 3, as substituted by the Family Law Amendment (2014 Measures No. 1) Rules 2014, applies to work done on or after 1 January 2015.
26 Schedule 2
Repeal the Schedule, substitute:
Schedule 2—Forms
Note: See subrule 24.04(2).
27 Schedule 3
Repeal the Schedule, substitute:
Schedule 3—Itemised scale of costs
Note 1: See rule 19.18 and clause 6.19 of Schedule 6.
Note 2: This Schedule applies generally to work done on or after 1 January 2015 (see rule 27.02). Different amounts, set out in superseded versions of this Schedule, may continue to apply to work done before that date.
Part 1—Costs allowable for lawyer’s work done and services performed
Costs—lawyer’s work
Item
Matter for which charge is made
Amount (including GST)
101
Drafting a document (other than a letter)
$19.67 per 100 words
102
Producing a document (other than a letter) in printed form
$6.72 per 100 words
103
Drafting and producing a letter (including a fax or an email)
$22.60 per 100 words
104
Reading a document
$9.21 per 100 words
105
Scanning a document (where reading is not necessary)
$3.62 per 100 words
106
For a document or letter mentioned in item 101, 102, 103, 104 or 105 containing more than 3 000 words
The amount allowed by the Registrar
107
Photocopy or other reproduction of a document
78 cents per page
108
Time reasonably spent by a lawyer on work requiring the skill of a lawyer (except work to which any other item in this Part applies)
$230.78 per hour
109
Time reasonably spent by a lawyer, or by a clerk of a lawyer, on work (except work to which any other item in this Part applies)
$149.63 per hour
Note: See rule 19.43 in relation to item 104.
Part 2—Costs allowable for counsel’s work done and services performed
Costs—counsel’s work
Item
Matter for which charge is made
Amount (including GST)—senior counsel
Amount (including GST)—junior counsel
201
Chamber work (including preparing or settling any necessary document, opinion, advice or evidence, and any reading fee (if allowed))
$443.84–$760.88 per hour
$264.99–$377.92 per hour
202
Attendance at a conference (including a court‑appointed conference), if necessary
$443.84–$760.88 per hour
$264.99–$377.92 per hour
203
Attendance of less than 3 hours (for example, a procedural hearing or a summary hearing)
$443.84–$3 170.16
$237.06–$1 110.82
204
A hearing or trial taking at least 3 hours but not more than 1 day
$824.25–$6 340.92
$785.92–$1 816.68
205
Other hearings or trials
$2 092.40–$6 340.92 per day
$1 873–$2 753.04 per day
206
Reserved judgment
$443.84–$760.88 per hour
$264.99–$377.92 per hour
Part 3—Basic composite amount for undefended divorce
Costs—undefended divorce
Item
Matter for which charge is made
Amount (including GST)
301
If the lawyer employed another lawyer to attend at court for the applicant and there is a child of the marriage under 18
$974.74
302
If the lawyer employed another lawyer to attend at court for the applicant and there is no child of the marriage under 18
$725.21
303
If the lawyer did not employ another lawyer to attend at court for the applicant and there is a child of the marriage under 18
$915.11
304
If the lawyer did not employ another lawyer to attend at court for the applicant and there is no child of the marriage under 18
$684.76
305
If the lawyer did not attend at court for the hearing under section 98A of the Act
$589.18
Part 4—Basic composite amount for request for Enforcement Warrant or Third Party Debt Notice
Costs—Enforcement Warrant or Third Party Debt Notice
Item
Matter for which charge is made
Amount (including GST)
401
An Enforcement Warrant under rule 20.16
$589.18
402
A Third Party Debt Notice under rule 20.32
$589.18
28 Dictionary (definition of Federal Magistrates Court)
Repeal the definition.
29 Amendments of listed provisions relating to the Federal Magistrates Court of Australia
Amendments relating to the Federal Magistrates Court of Australia
Item
Provision
Omit
Substitute
1
Division 4.2.4 (note to Division heading)
Federal Magistrates Court (wherever occurring)
Federal Circuit Court
2
Division 4.2.5 (overview of Division 4.2.5)
Federal Magistrates Court (wherever occurring)
Federal Circuit Court
3
Rule 6.16 (definition of bankruptcy proceedings)
Federal Magistrates Court
Federal Circuit Court
4
Subrule 11.18(1) (note)
Federal Magistrates Court (wherever occurring)
Federal Circuit Court
5
Chapter 21 (summary of Chapter 21)
Federal Magistrates Court (wherever occurring)
Federal Circuit Court
6
Paragraph 22.01(1)(b)
a Federal Magistrates Court
the Federal Circuit Court
7
Part 22.2 (note to Part heading)
Federal Magistrates Court
Federal Circuit Court
8
Subrule 22.11(3)
Judge, Federal Magistrate
Judge of the Family Court, Judge of the Federal Circuit Court
9
Rule 22.14
Federal Magistrates Court (wherever occurring)
Federal Circuit Court
10
Part 22.4 (heading)
Federal Magistrates Court
Federal Circuit Court
11
Rule 22.23
Federal Magistrates Court (wherever occurring)
Federal Circuit Court
12
Subparagraph 22.26(1)(c)(i)
Federal Magistrate
Judge of the Federal Circuit Court
13
Rule 22.27
Federal Magistrate (wherever occurring)
Judge of the Federal Circuit Court
14
Subrule 24.04(4)
Federal Magistrates Court
Federal Circuit Court
15
Dictionary (paragraph (a) of the definition of appeal)
Federal Magistrates Court
Federal Circuit Court
16
Dictionary (paragraph (a) of the definition of Appeal Registry)
Federal Magistrates Court
Federal Circuit Court
