Easy English fact sheets for parents dealing with the child protection system. Advice from parents with experience.

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Tips from other parents.
You are at Court

  1. Clothes
    Wear clean clothes.
    Check your clothes are tidy. Like
Do not wear a singlet top.
Do not wear thongs.
  1. How you feel
    Court can make you
    • feel scared
    • feel angry
    • worry.
      That is OK.
Take someone with you.
They are your support person.
  1. The time to be at Court
Be on time to Court.
Your Community Services papers tell you the
  • date
  • time
  • place.
  1. At the Court
We all need to be safe.
You walk through a machine.
You may need to take your coat off.
Your bag goes through the machine.
Put everything from your pockets in a tray.
It goes through the machine too.
  1. Your day at Court
You need to take some things with you. Like
  • the papers from Community Services
  • your CentreLink statement
  • your bank statement for the last 3 months.
You need to wait for your turn in the Court room.
You may need to wait all day. Take
  • food
  • drink
  • something to do. Like
    • magazine to read
    • ipad.
  1. Help in Court
You may need to fill in a form.
It is from Legal Aid.
You will get a lawyer.
He is called a duty lawyer.
Ask your lawyer any questions you have.
Your lawyer speaks for you in court.
Do not talk in Court.
The only time you can talk is when
  • the magistrate asks you a question.
    She may say I need to hear from the parent.
    Speak so the magistrate can hear you
or
  • your lawyer asks you a question.
    You can talk to your lawyer.
    Use a quiet voice.
  1. Court about children.
    This is called a closed Court
Court is about your children.
The magistrate says who can be in the Court room.
Ask your lawyer when you want
  • a support person in Court
  • an advocate in Court.
The Ability Rights Centre can help you find a support person
Call  02  9265  6350.

More information

This fact sheet is general information.
It may not be the same for you.
Talk to a lawyer about
  • your own child
  • your family.
This fact sheet was made by
  • The WASH House
  • The Ability Rights Centre. A service of IDRS
with
  • a Parent Advisory Group, 2020.
Images
We have used images from
  • ChangePeople
  • Inspired Services
  • Mayer-Johnson
  • Participics
  • Picto-Selector
  • Spectronics.
Access Easy English helped The WASH House write the Easy English.
March 2020.

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