News Item

Two new community videos titled “Without a Lawyer in the Family Court” have been made to provide insight into the workings of the Court. They enable viewers to gain a clear understanding of what to expect and how best to prepare for their own appearances.

The production of the videos, initiated by lawyers Kiriana Tan (Hamilton) and Tania Williams-Blyth (Rotorua), was prompted by rule changes that restrict the use of lawyers in the early stages of Family Court cases. Through their family law work they identified a need for this kind of resource, and worked with retired Family Court Judge John Adams to script the film.

The project was funded by the NZ Law Foundation and supported by the University of Waikato’s Te Piringa – Faculty of Law.

“Without a Lawyer in the Family Court” is presented in two parts:

• Part 1: Conference with a judge
• Part 2: Defended hearing

and is now available in both Te Reo Maori and English on YouTube via the Ministry of Justice Family Justice web site.

The videos are narrated by TV personalities Blair Strang and Scotty Morrison.

NZ Law Foundation provided funding of $25,420 towards the production of these videos.