“Stay in Your Own Lane” the Inherent Flaws Undermining Children’s Rights Within Australia’s Family Law System: A Perspective from the Field

Abstract

The social scientists and legal professionals who work in family law in Australia should be recognised for working tirelessly in a complex, overworked, and archaic system. A system that underserves their capacity to maintain integrity, expertise, and ethical diligence in the professions they are assigned. In this perspective piece, we acknowledge the innovative work being done within this system to strive to meet the best interests of the children they serve, whilst highlighting the fundamental flaws of an adversarial system that breeds acculturation across disciplines and disables the practitioners who operate within these systems from legitimately performing their duties and championing the human rights of children.