Family Court judges offered counselling as trauma of bitter divorce battles takes a toll

Frazzled Family Court judges are being offered psychological counselling to deal with the “trauma’’ of umpiring bitter divorce battles.

FRAZZLED Family Court judges are being offered psychological counselling to deal with the “trauma’’ of umpiring bitter divorce battles.

“Judicial wellbeing co-ordinators’’ have been appointed to help judges deal with the “vicarious trauma’’ of juggling dozens of cases every week.

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Judges are being offered counselling with psychologists, annual health checks and training in mental health strategies.

“The judges of the courts are some of the hardest working judicial officers in the nation, dealing with extremely difficult and emotional cases,’’ a spokeswoman told The Courier-Mail yesterday.

“The courts recognise the important connection between judicial wellbeing and the ability of judges to carry out their duties’’.

Queensland Law Society president Bill Potts. Picture: Claudia Baxter

Queensland Law Society president Bill Potts yesterday demanded the federal government appoint 11 more family law judges across the state, warning that court delays are putting families in danger.

“The judges are working like navvies,’’ he said.

“The problem is the courts are dealing with families and kids, and when there are delays it puts families under stress or in danger.

“If you have to wait three years for a (custody) decision on an 11-year-old, by the time you get a decision on the matter they are 14 and able to vote with their feet.’’

An analysis of court lists over the past week reveals that one registrar dealt with 92 uncontested divorces in one day — averaging a hearing every four minutes.

One FCC judge in Brisbane heard 58 property and custody disputes this week while another heard 31 cases in a day.

Mr Potts said some judges were “overbooked’’, so warring couples who had paid lawyers and barristers to show up at court could not get a hearing on their scheduled day.

The Courier-Mail revealed on Thursday that family law judges, who earn between $394,980 and $468,020 per year, were given extra holidays and “resilience training’’ after handling a record 106,603 divorce disputes last financial year.

Federal Attorney-General Christian Porter yesterday ruled out appointing any extra judges until federal parliament approves a merger of the Family Court with the Federal Circuit Court.