Justice Centre | 19 Aitken Street
DX SX10088 | Wellington
T 04 918 8800 |
F 04 918 8820
[email address] | www.justice.govt.nz
12 June 2023
Zane Collins
[email address]
[FYI request #22786 email]
Our ref: OIA 104602 & 104607
Tēnā koe Zane
Official Information Act request:
Thank you for your email of 15 May 2023 regarding information related to the Care of Children Act
2004 (CoCA) to the Minister of Justice, Hon Kiri Al an. Specifically, you requested:
Referred to as OIA 104602:
- 46G Parties may be directed to counselling with an approved Family Court counsellor.
- 46O Judge may direct party to undertake parenting information programme. defined as
parenting information programme means a programme specified as a parent‐
ing information
programme in regulations made under this Act
I would like to know the total number of referrals made to above services since 2013 until
2023 (per year) and the costs of the total referrals (per year)
Also I would like to know if there are any existing evaluative researches have been
conducted to measure the KPI's / outcomes of both service and we require copies of any
researches/studies and if not available, is it planned to be done?
On 15 May 2023, you also requested the following information from the Minister of Justice:
Referred to as OIA 104607:
- 46E Family dispute resolution mandatory before commencement of proceedings
Also, parties can initiate the FDR process before approaching the Family Court.
- I would like to know the total number of referrals made to the FDR since 2013 until 2023
(per year) and the costs of the total referrals (per year) to the taxppayers and the parents.
Also how many FDR referrals were done through the court and how many directly to the
FDR providers
- The total costs and payments made to "Fair Way Resolution Limited" and "Family Dispute
Resolution Centre Ltd" "Family Works" and any other FDR service providers. The
breakdown of the payments / costs per year (from year 2013 to 2023)
- The outcome of the total FDR referrals as per the reasons below:
1- FDR is inappropriate for the dispute because:
- At least one of the parties to the family dispute, or a child of one of the parties, has been
subject to domestic violence by one of the other parties to the dispute.
- At least one of the parties to the family dispute is unable to participate effectively in family
dispute resolution. The reasons are listed below:
- A situation exists which means that family dispute resolution is inappropriate for the parties
to the family dispute.
The reasons are listed below:
2 - One party did not attend or continue to attend family dispute resolution
Also I would like to know if there are any existing evaluative researches have been
conducted to measure the KPI's / outcomes / statistics of the FDR service and we require
copies of any researches/studies and if not available, any plans to conduct any researches
or studies and when?
Pursuant to section 15(1) of the Act, the Ministry has decided to grant your request. A response is
currently being prepared; however, we require more time to finalise the response for release. The
information wil be provided to you as soon as it is ready and no later than 26 June 2023. I
apologise for any inconvenience this delay may cause you.
In response to the costs of the referrals to the parents, the Ministry does not hold information on
payments to FDR (Family Dispute Resolution) suppliers made by non-funded parties. I am therefore
refusing this part of your request under section 18(g) of the Act as this information is not held by the
Ministry.
If you require any further information, please contact Ministry of Justice Media & Social Media
Manager Joe Locke at [email address].
If you are not satisfied with this response, you have the right to make a complaint to the Office of the
Ombudsman under section 28(3) of the Act. The Office of the Ombudsman may be contacted by
email to [email address] or by phone on 0800 802 602.
Nāku noa, nā
Antony Paltridge
Team Leader, Ministerial Relations and Services
