In 2024, the family law landscape continued to evolve due to changes in Australian family law amendments, societal norms and ever-changing technology. Now, with 2025 at our doorstep, it’s time to reflect and delve into planning for the new year.
Here are some trends we noticed from 2024, which we think are here to stay:
There is a larger focus on mental health and wellbeing for all parties involved in family law – parents, children and lawyers alike.
The Family Law Amendment Bill 2023 applied in May 2024 is a contributing factor and reinforces the importance of considering mental health in legal decisions.
In a speech made by Hon Mark Dreyfus KC at the 20th National Family Law Conference 2024, Dreyfus affirmed these reforms are a commitment to putting children’s best interests at the heart of the family law system and how he believes they make the legislative framework clearer so that lawyers can be better equipped to support vulnerable individuals.
Meanwhile, the undeniable high-pressure lawyers face has demanded a developing culture fostering a more supportive and resilient work environment.
“A lawyer who prioritises mental health is better equipped to advocate for their clients, approach challenges and ultimately achieve a better outcome,” says Yogesh Patel, Head of Family and Estate at InfoTrack.
In a profession with higher volumes of work, efficiency and self-management are key. To stay ahead of competitors and impending deadlines, learning to incorporate effective productivity tools and offloading time-draining and tedious tasks is of upmost importance.
This lends a great opportunity for you to outsource smaller administration related tasks to trusted industry specialists or make use of tech tools integrated for automation so you can focus on what matters most. This can allow time back in your day to accommodate higher volumes of client work to further grow your business.
According to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner, they received 527 data breach notifications this year from January to June. This is the highest number of notifications since 2020, nine percent higher than the previous six months. One of these breaches impacted over ten million Australians, the highest number affected since the start of the Notifiable Data Breaches scheme six years ago.
As a result, proactive prevention strategies when managing sensitive information is highly critical. A recommended starting point is to familiarise yourself with what protection your technology providers have in place.
The reliance of technology in Family Law cases is growing. While virtual consultations and court hearings have become the norm, other AI and legal tech tools are emerging and revolutionising the space.
Technologies can help increase automation, while saving time and money. For example, our Family Court solution prioritises convenience and ease for its user by establishing a single destination to electronically lodge court filings, documents and/or synchronise matters against cases. Integrated with the Commonwealth Courts Portal, it saves critical time by helping to pre-fill applications and reducing the need to continuously check party information.
By considering these 2024 trends and integrating them into your 2025 plans, family law professionals can develop stronger client relationships and accomplish more in their day to day, ultimately increasing competitive advantage.
Speak to one of our team members to learn more about how our suite of Family Law solutions can support you in 2025.
