Courts involving children and young people

Children, young people, families, and the organisations that support them, may at times come into contact with the legal system.

For families where there are child protection concerns, the priority is keeping children safely together with their families. When it is not safe for a child or young person to remain with their family, a court order may be necessary to provide them with a safe, stable and nurturing home.

This section provides key information on court processes relating to children and young people involved in care proceedings before the Children’s Court.

This chapter includes the following sections:

• Children’s Court
  • What are care and protection proceedings?
  • How does the process work?
  • Dispute Resolution Conferences
  • Court orders
  • Care plans
  • Parent responsibility contract
  • Guardian Ad Litem
  • Appeals
  • Practice advice
• Other courts and tribunals
• Other orders
• Legal support for parents, carers and families