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Family Law Children Consent Orders

Consent Orders

Updated on Jan 05, 2023 • 4 min read • 234 views • Copy Link

Michelle Makela

Published in Jul 22, 2015 • Updated on Jan 05, 2023 • 4 min read • 234 views

Consent Orders

The Family Law Act 1975 applies in every state of Australia and includes provisions for parents to make an agreement or obtain consent orders from a court about the future care of, and access to, their children after separation. These are ways of resolving a parenting matter without the need to go through a trial. If you and your former partner have reached an agreement about the children, you should consider getting legal advice on your rights and responsibilities so that you understand all the consequences of the agreement you are considering. It is also important that the agreement is written in a way that is clear to you and to the other parent and to anyone else who may need to refer to it, such as schools or day care centres. This page deals with consent orders in parenting matters.

Parenting plans

A parenting plan is a written agreement that sets out parenting arrangements for children. It is not a legally enforceable agreement. Because it is worked out by both parties, you and your former partner do not need to attend court either to make it or to change it.

A parenting plan can be used to change a parenting order or a consent order that was made by the court (unless the court has ordered otherwise).

If you agree to terms in a parenting plan that are different to those in the court order, you cannot rely on the court order terms or complain to the court that the terms have been broken.

Consent Orders

A consent order is a written agreement that is filed with the court for approval. Once the court approves the consent orders they have the same standing as an order made after a court hearing and if a party breaks a consent order, they can be penalised.

Consent orders are usually an agreement between the parents of the children however grandparents and other relatives can also file for consent orders about children who are related to them. The application can be prepared by a lawyer, or by the parents using the Family Court’s Consent Orders kit. It is then filed with the court, together with the filing fee.

What Consent Orders can cover

Even when both parties agree to the orders sought, the court will not approve Consent Orders unless it is satisfied that the orders are in the best interests of the children. They will start with the presumption that it is in the children’s best interests for both parents to have equal shared parental responsibility, except in cases where there is family violence or abuse.

Equal shared parental responsibility means that both parents share the big decisions about their children, including those that affect the children’s health, schooling, or religion. If you are seeking an arrangement that is not equal shared parental responsibility, you will need to convince the court that your agreement is in the children’s best interests.

The orders should also address how much time the children will spend with each parent. This may include whether that will be equal time with each parent or substantial and significant time with one parent (this includes not only weekends and school holidays but weekdays and other days). The court needs to consider whether your proposal for spending time with each parent is practical and in the child’s best interests. Your consent orders can also address issues such as whether a child will spend with time a grandparent or other relative and what other forms of communication a child will have with a parent.

You may wish to set out what form of consultation is required between the parents on any aspect of the children’s care, welfare and development, including their education, health, religion and the cultural aspects of their life. In some cases, consent orders can also include child support and maintenance.

Other matters that might be addressed in consent orders can include how the children will be cared for in school holidays, on pupil free days, on school days when they are sick and before and after school. You may also wish to include orders regarding their attendance at any family, educational, religious, cultural or sporting activities and any overseas holidays.

If you require legal advice or representation in any legal matter, please contact Go To Court Lawyers.

Published in

Jul 22, 2015

Michelle Makela

National Practice Manager

Michelle Makela is a Legal Practice Director at Go To Court Lawyers. She holds a Juris Doctor, a Bachelor of Science (Psychology) and a Master of Criminology. She was admitted to practice in 2006. Michelle has over 15 years experience in the legal industry, working across commercial litigation, criminal law, family law and estate planning.

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Michelle Makela

National Practice Manager

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Consent Orders

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Michelle Makela

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