The Unofficial Men's Access to Justice Project

Is it easy for fathers to get custody through the Family Court in New Zealand?

From a post I sent to nz.general on 25 May 1996:

If we are gathering Family Court stories, how about:

• the father who applied for custody, but found in the mediation conference that the judge would only consider a HALVING of his time with the children because the mother would not co-operate.
• or the father who had custody, but the judge (again in a "mediation conference") would only consider the option of his having weekend access because the mother wanted the children back (she had formally given him custody 18 months earlier).
• or the father who applied for custody and was told that no decision would be made at that time due to the mother's mental state. She was allowed to keep the child in the interim, although a non-molestation order was granted to protect the FATHER from her (did someone mention the Domestic Violence Act)
• or the father who applied for custody, only to find that the mother had moved about 600k away with the child. She applied there for an interim custody order, which was granted without any input from the father, although the judge was well aware of the application he had made.
• or the father who complied with all the terms of agreements with respect to child support and settlement of property only to find his access denied by the mother. In that case the judge told him that the agreements were "working 90%" (access=10%???), so HE SHOULD GO AWAY AND RENEGOTIATE. I wonder how many custodial parents unable to obtain the specified child support are told to "renegotiate?????

Do you want to make a submission?

Stuart Birks

11 June, 1996