24 April 2020
Consent orders - Special execution measures during COVID-19
In regard to the signing of consent orders by the parties and the certificates of independent advice by their lawyers, do you know of any change in protocol due to the Coronavirus?
Thank you for the question.
Pursuant to the Joint Practice Direction issued on 31 March 2020 for special measures in response to COVID-19:
Documents, including … consent orders, required to be signed under the Family Law Rules 2004 or the Federal Circuit Court Rules 2001 may be signed electronically by the deponent and/or the lawyer on the record for that party, including by having the person signing the document type their name in the relevant space in the signature block in lieu of physically signing the document.
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