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Links
The Family Court of New Zealand does not endorse any of these sites. These links are provided for the users information and the use of the information on these sites is the sole responsibility of the user.
New Zealand Government Sites:
This website provides an overview of New Zealand and its government, access to government services information and employment opportunities, as well as government agency contact details.
Child, Youth and Family is the government agency that has authority to intervene to protect and help children who are being abused or neglected or who are showing problem behaviour.
This website provides a focus for promoting the well-being and safety of children and supporting positive parenting.
This site provides comprehensive information about child support, how to contact Inland Revenue plus all the relevant forms and guides.
The Department of Corrections manages prison sentences, and other non custodial sentences such as periodic detention, community service and supervision. It provides support for the Parole Board and District Prisons Boards, and information to the courts. Its primary goal is to reduce re-offending.
Department of Internal Affairs
The Department of Internal Affairs administers the Births Deaths and Marriages Act and registers births, deaths and marriages. The Office of Ethnic Affairs is based at the Department of Internal Affairs.
This is the web site of the Hague Conference on International Law. It provides a list of countries which are parties to the Hague Convention on the civil aspects of child abduction.
Health and Disability Commission
The Health and Disability Commission was established under the Health and Disability Commission Act 1994 to promote and protect the rights of health and disability consumers, and to facilitate the fair, simple, speedy, and efficient resolution of complaints.
The Law Commission is an independent, government-funded organisation, which reviews areas of the law that need updating, reforming or developing. Its goal is to achieve law that is just, principled, accessible, and reflects the heritage and aspirations of the peoples of New Zealand.
This site provides information for the general public on information about legal aid, how to complete an application for legal aid, useful publications and provides a link to the LawAccess site which contains law-related information and resources.
Provides public access to New Zealand legislation (Acts and Regulations)
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade provides consular services to protect the rights of New Zealand citizens overseas
Has responsibility to promote better understanding by the public of mental illness, and eliminate discrimination.
The Ministry of Health responsibilities include:
- administering health sector legislation and regulations; and
- disseminating national health information.
Recently it has also begun providing services to assist Maori achieve their development aims.
Ministry of Social Development
The Ministry of Social Development, Te Manatu Whakahiato Ora, provides strategic social policy advice to government plus social services to more than one million New Zealanders including:
- income support, employment services and NZ Superannuation through Work and Income ;
- student allowances and loans through StudyLink;
- services to rural clients through Heartland Services;
- leadership and coordination of services and programmes that support families through Family and Community Services.
The Ministry is also responsible for the:
- Ministry of Youth Development;
- Office for Disability Issues;
- Office for Senior Citizens;
- Office for the Community and Voluntary Sector;
- Establishment of the Families Commission.
The Ministry works in partnership with communities to help maximise regional development and employment opportunities.
Office of the Commissioner for Children
The Office of the Commissioner for Children was established under the Children, Young Persons and Their Families Act 1989 to monitor and review policy and practice under the Act, to promote the welfare of children and young people and to ensure that their rights are recognised.
This website provides a way of making complaints to the Commissioner and access to the Office's publications.
This website provides information about the New Zealand House of Representatives and Parliamentary agencies.
This website provides information on New Zealand Police operations and purpose, and on the enforcement of criminal law in New Zealand.
Strengthening Families is a strategy that joins the Health, Education and Welfare Sectors of government to improve life outcomes for children. It aims to improve family health, educational attainments and reduce the incidence of persistent offending or abuse and neglect.
This website provides information and publications about Strengthening Families and initiatives under the Strengthening Families strategy.
The role of Work and Income is to help people into work, and to provide income support to people who need it.
This website provides information for people who use, or may use, Work and Income's services. It provides information about finding work, getting income support or employing job seekers along with links to our own online vacancy and job seeker listings. There is also general information about the Department's role and activities.
The Youth Court was established under The Children, Young Persons and Their Families Act 1989. The Act established new objects and principles for Youth Justice and set up an innovative system for responding to the young people who offend. The new system emphasises diversion from courts and custody, and, while holding young persons accountable, facilitates the construction of responses that aim to provide for the rehabilitation and reintegration of young people, support for their families, and that take into account the needs of victims.
Other Sites of Interest:
This is a non exhaustive list of links to other sites that provide information related to family law. These links are to both New Zealand and international sites.
New Zealand
Age Concern New Zealand is a not-for-profit, charitable organisation, dedicated to promoting the quality of life and well-being of older people, advocating a message of positive, healthy ageing for people of all ages.
This website provides information about Age Concern and about policy issues for older people.
Alzheimers New Zealand assists and supports people with dementia, their carers, families and health professionals dealing with Alzheimers disease or a related dementia through its National Office in Wellington and its 23 member organisations throughout the country.
Aotearoa New Zealand Association of Social Workers
This site provides information for members of the Association as well as those who seek information about social work in New Zealand.
Auckland District Law Society administers the legal profession for the Auckland district which covers the area from Thames/Coromandel to North Cape and includes metropolitan Auckland.
Barnardos is a children's charity working to help New Zealand children grow to reach their full potential. Barnardos believes all young people have the right to a happy and healthy childhood and adolescence. It helps children and their families towards a positive future through:
- Safe, reliable and professional educational childcare
- Care and protection of children at risk of emotional, physical or sexual abuse
- Support, information and advice for children, young people and their carers.
The site provides information about research about childrens issues for those involved with children.
The Citizens Advice Bureau is a voluntary organisation providing free, confidential information and advice to anyone about any query or problem. CAB is staffed by trained volunteers who can access information by computer or from the extensive range of resources held by each bureau. There are 91 bureaux spread from Kaitaia to Invercargill, (phone 0800 FOR CAB).
This site provides information about Community Law Centres, their services and where Courts are located. It also has a list of publications and education resources.
IHC has an extensive collection of information on intellectual disability, including legal and ethical issues. It also has an advocacy team who can advise on legal issues involving people with disabilities.
The site is designed for children to complement helplines in Auckland and Christchurch.
New Zealand Association of Children's Supervised Access Services
The Association provides a network for those involved with children's supervised access, disseminates information and encourages research. The Association also provides a forum for debate and analysis regarding the role of children's supervised access services, promotes quality in service provision, and provides a forum for collective action.
This website is for those people and organisations that help parents and children come together in a safe and controlled environment. It is also a site where parents and children can learn more about access and where the access services are located.
New Zealand Association of Counsellors
The Association of Counsellors is a professional body representing counsellors in New Zealand. The web site provides information about membership, details of branches of the Association and information about resources, newsletters and conferences.
The New Zealand Law Society is a professional association which represents all practising lawyers in New Zealand.
New Zealand Law Society - Family Law Section
The New Zealand Family Law Section was established to enable members to promote their common interest in family law and to act in matters affecting family law and family lawyers in New Zealand. The Section's main objectives are to:
- Act as a strong proactive lobby group advancing the interests of families and children;
- Initiate discussion of family law issues;
- Raise the profile and image of family lawyers and the work they do and counter some of the misconceptions the public have about lawyers generally.
New Zealand Psychological Society
The Psychological Society is a professional body representing psychologists in New Zealand. The site provides information about the Society, membership and the services and publications it offers.
Presbyterian Support is a group of charitable organisations established to meet social needs in the community which are not otherwise adequately being met. Presbyterian Support is made up of seven autonomous regional organisations under the Presbyterian Support banner. Its core activities concentrate on assisting youth in need, children and families; and elderly people through residential and community services. Three regions also offer services for people with physical disabilities, and one operates a hospice for terminally ill people and their families.
This website provides access to the regional organisations.
New Zealand Psychologists Board
The Psychologists Board's main purpose is the protection of the public of New Zealand through the registration of psychologists who meet the registration requirements as set out in the Psychologists Act 1981 and its schedule, and the discipline of registered psychologists.
Relationship Services helps individuals, couples, families and groups to build better relationships It delivers a wide range of counselling, mediation and education services in 70 communities throughout New Zealand.
This website provides information about Relationship Services and access to online services (including counselling services).
This site provides information about the Refugee and Migrant Services in New Zealand. Areas where services are co-located and other news and information.
Skylight is an agency supporting children and young people facing change, loss and grief. The site provides information about Skylight services including an 0800 line, publications, resources and articles.
Victim Support is a community based voluntary organisation relying principally on volunteer workers to provide crisis intervention and support to victims of crime, accident and emergency.
This website provides information about Victim Support and contact information for Victim Support.
Violence Research Centre - Te Awatea
The site aims to provide access to a national clearinghouse about violence research, it also provides information about training and education opportunities for professional groups and communities that assist and support victims and provide rehabilitative services for offenders.
Wellington District Law Society
Wellington District Law Society administers the legal profession for the Wellington district.
The site provides information about the Refuge services available in New Zealand as well as resources and information for battered women and children.
YouthLaw provides free confidential legal advice, information and advocacy for children and young people up to the age of 25 anywhere in Aotearoa/New Zealand.
Australia
Australian Commonwealth Government
This website provides access to Australian Commonwealth Government Information and Services
Australian Domestic Violence Clearing House
Contains information about domestic violence.
Australian Institute of Family Studies
The Australian Institute of Family Studies is a government research and information agency established to promote the identification and understanding of factors affecting marital and family stability in Australia.
The Australian Commonwealth's Family Law Act 1975 created the Family Court of Australia to interpret and apply that law to individual cases. The creation of the Family Court of Australia was aimed at improving the manner in which separation and marriage dissolution were managed.
The Australian Family Law Council is a statutory authority established to advise and make recommendations to the Attorney-General concerning:
- The workings of the Family Law Act 1975 and other legislation relating to family law;
- The working of legal aid in relation to family law;
- Any other matters relating to family law.
This website provides access to Family Law Council Publications
International Child Abduction: Official Australian Website
The Australian Commonwealth Attorney-General's Department is the Australian Central Authority for the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction. The Convention can assist parents whose children have been wrongfully removed to, or retained in, a Convention country, or whose contact or access with a child in a Convention country has broken down.
Canada
This website provides access to Canadian Federal Government Websites.
The Canadian Department of Justice provides support to the Canadian Minister of Justice in working to ensure that Canada is a just and law-abiding society with an accessible, efficient and fair system of justice. It also provides high-quality legal services and counsel to the government and to client departments and agencies; and promotes respect for rights and freedoms, the law and the Constitution.
This website provides information about its programs and services, including information about child custody and access, and child support.
United Kingdom
The Department for Education and Skills
This website provides access to information about family law issues in the United Kingdom.
Department for Constitutional Affairs - Family Law
This website provides acess to information about family law policy in the United Kingdom.
This site provides useful information for parents, children and young people about separation. The information about difficult words and getting further help refers to the UK system and some of the information is not relevant to New Zealand.