01 Jun ‘eDivorce’ – A paperless filing system
Written by Erica Panagakos, Associate
erica@bc-lawyers.com.au
After years of ‘online dating’ being popular, ‘online separating’ is the way of the future – the Family and Federal Circuit Courts of Australia are making a shift to electronic filing of Applications for Divorce through the Commonwealth Courts Portal, the Courts’ electronic database.
Parties can now complete an Application for Divorce through the Portal by using an interactive form to guide them through the process, step-by-step.
Whilst parties will no longer be able to download the ‘Application for Divorce Kit’ from the Courts’ websites, the Courts’ web pages have been updated to include new guides to assist parties navigating their way through the electronic filing process.
The shift to ‘eDivorce’ will alleviate the need for parties to attend at the Court Registry and should make the filing process more convenient for self-represented litigants. The filing fee associated with filing an Application for Divorce can also be paid online.
Once an Application for Divorce is filed, divorcing parties will be able to access filed documents online, at any time, via the Portal and the Court will be able to notify the parties by email if there is any activity on their file. The ‘eDivorce’ process also enables parties to have an input in determining when an Application will be heard by the Court, as parties are able to select from a range of hearing dates.
If you require assistance in relation to an Application for Divorce, our family lawyers are available on (08) 8212 1322 during business hours and would be pleased to assist.
