How a Case Reaches the Evatt List

Under the Lighthouse Project, every new parenting or parenting and property application filed in the FCFCOA goes through confidential family safety risk screening (Family Law Act 1975 (Cth) Part IIA, ss 10Q–10W). Where the screening indicates “high risk”, the case is triaged into the Evatt List. The very fact of triage is protected and screening results are confidential and inadmissible in later proceedings (s 10U, s 10V).

What to Expect in Evatt List Proceedings

• Early Directions Hearing – usually within weeks of filing.
• Focused evidence – orders for child-impact reports (s 62G) and, where appropriate, expert assessments or subpoenas issued at the outset.
• Active judicial management – the same judge retains control of the file, ensuring consistency, oversight and prompt rulings.
• Safety-first interlocutory orders – urgent injunctions (s 68B) or restraints under Division 11 can be made to protect parties and children.
• Shorter timeline to trial – the Evatt List aims to resolve or list matters for final hearing far sooner than the ordinary docket.

The Legal Framework

Australian family-law courts must put children’s safety and wellbeing first. In every parenting dispute the court’s “paramount consideration” is the child’s best interests (s 60CA). Where allegations of family violence or abuse arise, the court is required to take “prompt action” (s 67ZBB) and may impose protective conditions (ss 68N–68T). The Evatt List turns those statutory duties into a structured, best-practice procedure:

• Risk identification – confidential screening under Part IIA.
• Targeted triage – Evatt judicial officers decide what evidence is truly necessary, avoiding expensive scatter-gun litigation.
• Front-loading of expert material – child-impact reports and, where ordered, family-violence reports, give the judge high-quality evidence early.
• Continuous oversight – limits opportunities for strategic delay or intimidation.

Benefits of the Evatt List

• Safety – urgent protective orders can be made immediately, reducing contact risks.
• Speed – tight directions shorten the journey to settlement or judgment.
• Cost-effectiveness – by narrowing the real issues early, overall legal costs are typically lower.
• Trauma-informed process – the List is staffed by judges and registrars trained in family-violence dynamics.
• Consistency – the same judicial officer follows the matter from start to finish, fostering trust and clear expectations.

Why Professional Representation Matters

Placement in the Evatt List does not lessen complexity, it simply compresses timeframes. Disclosure deadlines are strict; failure to comply can seriously prejudice a case. Experienced family-law solicitors:

• prepare the mandatory Notice of Child Abuse, Family Violence or Risk so that the court has a clear picture from day one;
• gather and file persuasive, admissible evidence within tight Evatt timetables;
• negotiate safety-focused interim parenting arrangements;
• present cogent submissions on best interests (s 60CA) and the evidential weight of family-violence material;
• ensure procedural fairness is observed while keeping the process as non-adversarial as possible.

How Stanley & Co Lawyers Can Help

Our Adelaide-based family-law team has first-hand experience guiding clients through the Lighthouse screening process and Evatt List hearings. We understand how to:

• Fast-track urgent applications for safety-related injunctions;
• Work with court-appointed family consultants to produce clear, child-focused reports;
• Engage specialists (psychologists, school counsellors, medical practitioners) to support or rebut risk allegations;
• Prepare concise affidavits that meet the evidentiary rules without exposing vulnerable parties to unnecessary cross-examination.