The Family Law Section of the New Zealand Law Society has primary responsibility on behalf of the Society in all areas of family law. It has a strong and active voice in relation to such issues as Family Courts management, the independence of the Family Court, Lawyer for Child rates, legal aid rates, specialisation and education. Its membership consists of family law practitioners, judges, legal academics, legal executives and government employees from all over New Zealand.

The Section has its own rules which govern the way in which it should operate, including membership and the election of the Executive Committee. A copy of the Rules is available in the members' section of this website.

Section Management

The Executive Committee
The Executive Committee of the Section is charged with the management and overall responsibility for the operation of the Section. The Executive Committee has a membership of nine, the presidential nominee and the editor of The Family Advocate. There is power to co-opt three extra members. Only a full member of the Section is eligible to be elected as a member of the Executive Committee for a term of three years, and membership always includes at least two representatives from the South Island and two from the North Island. The Section Rules contain further information regarding the make up and election of Executive members.

Each Section Executive member is responsible for liaison with a particular district. Those districts are: Taranaki, Wanganui, Marlborough, Nelson, Waikato/Bay of Plenty, Gisborne, Otago, Southland, Manawatu, Westland, Wellington, Hawke's Bay, Auckland and Canterbury.

The Executive Committee has the power to create subcommittees to control certain aspects of the running of the Section.

The Section currently has 13 active standing committees, set up to deal with policy matters on all aspects of family law. These committees are:

• Child Support and Spousal Maintenance;
• Childrens Issues;
• Counsel for the Child;
• CYPTF Act & CYFS;
• Domestic Violence;
• Education;
• International Family Law Issues;
• Legal Aid Issues;
• Mental Health & PPPR;
• Policy and Law Reform;
• Practice and Procedure;
• Relationship Property;
• Succession & Testamentary Claims.

As a result of the work of these specialist committees, the Section has developed a reputation as a source of sound advice to those responsible for framing family law legislation, for determining policy and organising the administration of family law in New Zealand.

The Section also has 29 regional representatives around the country. They act as a more informal liaison with members and are often also on the local District Law Society Family Law Committee.