NCJ Number
136628
Date Published
1991
Length
183 pages
Annotation
A sample of 61 research participants who had obtained a final custody or access order in three selected New Zealand courts in 1987 was interviewed concerning their court experiences. The sample included 32 custodial parents or grandparents, 18 non-custodial persons, 4 with joint or shared custody, and 7 with divided custody.
Abstract
The data for the report were collected via in-depth unstructured interviews. The objectives of the research were to investigate the court experience of applicants for a final custody or access order in terms of their contact with court personnel, opinions about lawyers and counseling received, the hearing, and the outcome of the court process. In addition, the report analyzed reasons for dissatisfaction with the court experience and noted suggestions for improvement. Five chapters related primarily to personnel involved in the family court, specifically lawyers, counselors, the judge, counsel for the child, and social welfare agencies. Three separate chapters focus on the mediation conferences, the court process, and other topics related to custody and access orders. A number of themes emerged from these interviews: the level of understanding the parents had about the Family Court, their perception of the power or control they could exercise during the process, the extent of delays experienced by the parents, and variations in family court practice that they observed. 2 appendixes