Care of children act 2004

When families separate, it is important to consider who will care for the child and what arrangements will allow the child to maintain contact with both parents.

It is important to think about what is best for the child, what will ensure their wellbeing, and to take their ideas and opinions into account.

The Care of Children Act 2004 came into force on 1 July 2005. The Act makes some important changes to the laws dealing with -

  • the guardianship of a child
  • arrangements for the care of a child, and
  • resolving disputes about arrangements for the care of a child.

The words used in the new Act reflect these changes. Parents will now have day-to-day care of their child. This used to be called custody. A parent who doesn't have day-to-day care of their child will be encouraged to have contact with them. This used to be called access.

Custody orders and access orders will now be replaced with parenting orders.
 

Brochures produced by the Family Court

The Family Court has produced information on the following topics:

  • Parenting Agreements
  • Counselling
  • The Mediation Conference
  • Lawyer for the Child
  • Parenting Orders
  • Appearing in the Family Court
  • Breaches of Parenting Orders
  • Preventing Children being Removed from New Zealand
  • Supervised Contact
     

Further Links