Preparing for your divorce hearing

Step by step guide

To do this, you must:

tell your spouse you are going to ask the court to attend by phone or video, and
file a Request to attend by electronic communication form at least five business days before the hearing at the court registry where the hearing will take place.

You can get a copy of this form from:

the Family law forms page on the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia website
your nearest court registry.

It is up to the court whether to agree to your request. 

For instructions on how to complete this form and an example of a completed form, see:

You can file your completed form:

online via the Commonwealth Courts Portal
in person at a court registry.

You should check:

your hearing date and time
whether your hearing will be by telephone or in person.

If you are attending by phone, you should check you have the phone number ready.

If you are attending in person, you should check:

the address of the court
how long it will take you to get to court
where to park your car
your bus or train timetable.

You can find the details of your hearing, on the Commonwealth Courts Portal or the court lists from 4pm the day before the hearing.

For the court lists, see Daily court lists on the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia website.

If you have trouble remembering important dates, set yourself a reminder.

If you have to go to court for your hearing, you should organise someone to care for your children while you are at court. You should be prepared to be at court for several hours. Children are not allowed to go into the courtroom.

You should have all of the documents that have been filed with the court.

Organise your documents so they are easy to find them. You may want to put them in a folder and mark them with tabs.

For a checklist of what you need to do, see:

Checklist: What to take to the hearing (PDF, 121KB).

Before the hearing, you should read your own documents so you can remember what you told the court.

The court will ask you questions about what you have said in your documents. You need to be able to answer these questions.

You should take the time to read any documents your spouse has filed with the court so you understand their case.

The court may ask you questions about what your spouse has said in their documents. You need to be able to answer these questions.

Support person

You can have a support person with you at the hearing. This may be a friend or relative. If your hearing is in person, your support person will not be allowed to speak for you or sit at the bar table with you. They will have to sit in the public gallery.

Interpreter

If you need an interpreter, you should arrange one before the hearing.

If you can’t afford an interpreter, the court may organise one for you. You should contact the court at least two weeks before the hearing so that the court has time to arrange an interpreter.

For more information, see Interpreter policy and guidelines on the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia website.

Court support

If you have a disability, medical condition or special needs and you need support from the court, you should contact the court at least one week before the hearing.

For more information, see Court support on the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia website.

If you need an interpreter, you should arrange one before the hearing.

If you can’t afford an interpreter, the court may arrange one for you. You should contact the court at least two weeks before the hearing so that it has time to arrange an interpreter.

For more information, see Interpreter policy and guidelines on the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia website.

If you have a disability, medical condition or special needs that means you require support from the court, you should contact the court at least one week before the hearing.

For more information, see Court support on the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia website.

If you are concerned about your safety, you should tell the court staff at least five working days before the hearing so that they have time to make arrangements to protect your safety. 

This can include:

use of the safe room
a separate entry and exit point from the court 
allowing you to have a support person 
allowing you to give evidence by video or audio link
closing the court to the public 
excluding certain people from being in the courtroom.

If there is an Apprehended Domestic Violence Order (ADVO) in place concerning you and your spouse, you should have included information about this in your application. If you didn’t, you should get legal advice. 

For more information, see Do you have fears for your safety when attending court? on the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia website. 