Broken: Children, Parents and Family Courts

by Camilla Nelson, Catharine Lumby

A devastating account of how Australia's family courts fail children, families and victims of domestic abuse

'What happens to kids in our family law system should be a national scandal - and yet, so few people know about it. This book finally lifts the lid on this broken system, and shows how this once-great institution now regularly orders children to see or live with dangerous parents, and bankrupts the victim-parents trying to protect them. An urgent call to action.'- Jess Hill, author of See What You Made Me Do

The family courts intimately affect the lives of those who come before them. Judges can decide where you are allowed to live and work, which school your child can attend and whether you are even permitted to see your child. Lawyers can interrogate every aspect of your personal life during cross-examination, and argue whether or not you are fit to be a parent.

Broken explores the complexities and failures of Australia's family courts through the stories of children and parents whose lives have been shattered by them. Camilla Nelson and Catharine Lumby take the reader into the back rooms of the system to show what it feels like to be caught up in spirals of abusive litigation. They reveal how the courts have been politicised by Pauline Hanson and men's rights groups, and how those they are meant to protect most - children - are silenced or treated as property.

Exploring the legal culture, gender politics and financial incentives that drive the system, Broken reveals how the family courts - despite the high ideals on which they were founded - have turned into the worst possible place for children and families devastated by domestic abuse.

Genres: Nonfiction, Sociology

320 pages, Paperback

Published August 31, 2021

Reviews

[Lonnie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a difficult book to read. How the family courts treat children; not only ignoring their rights but putting them in danger is a disgrace.
The old school misogynistic judges need to either be replaced or educated and brought into the modern world.
This book will make you angry, and it should. Some of the stories covered in this book ended up with the death of some of these innocent children by being sent to live or have visitation with someone they had expressed had been abusive to either them or their mother.
Shameful. Disgusting. Our children need to be heard and protected from any parent that may harm them, psychologically, sexually, violently or any other way. As a parent you don’t have a right to treat your child abominably. It’s a privilege to parent a child not your given right to do whatever you choose and still have a relationship with them.

Disclosure: I come from a very abusive family and this is a subject that is triggering for me.

[Sandra Hurren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Broken: Children, Parents and Family Courts” is a compelling and meticulously researched examination of the Australian family court system that shines an unflinching light on its deep-seated flaws. Camilla Nelson and Catharine Lumby blend rigorous investigation with poignant, real-life accounts to reveal how the legal system can leave vulnerable families and children in its wake. The book’s strength lies in its ability to make the abstract painfully concrete, forcing readers to confront stories of systemic failure and abuse that are often swept under the rug.

At times, the narrative can feel overwhelming due to the weight of its subject matter, and some sections may come across as repetitive for those seeking a lighter read. However, these moments of heaviness only serve to underline the urgency of the reform the authors so passionately advocate for. Overall, this book is both an eye-opener and a call to action—a necessary, if challenging, read for anyone interested in social justice and legal reform.

I’m awarding it 4 stars for its powerful insights and the courage to tackle such a difficult topic, even if it occasionally burdens the reader with its intensity.

[teaohhknee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think this book was very eye-opening! And summed up a lot of real experiences I myself have gone through as a child with parents that divorced and had gone through the family law courts here in Brisbane for 7 years. Children are silenced. I was one of those children. Overall, loved this book and it was heart breaking and uplifting as it seemed like finally children's and families' stories that were affected by system abuse were heard.

[Gia (지아) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was some of the most disturbing, guy-wrenching shit I’ve ever read.

I would recommend this book for anyone interested in the mysterious processes of the family courts in Australia, but not if you’ve had your own experiences in / with them as it’s hugely triggering to read about in such detail.

[Liz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Grim.

[Kimia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Though somewhat flawed, this was an insightful analysis that really opened my eyes to the family law system. An absolute must read for those interested in pursuing it.

[Jules Farrington · Rating 3 out of 5]

A harrowing insight into Australia's family court system.

There are a few nuances that I think the book missed, and it did drag on a bit towards the end.

[Caught my eye]

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

A confronting call for improved recognition and action in support of children’s rights in the beleaguered Australian Family Court system. It makes for tragic reading when instances of domestic violence, abuse and death are visibly preventable but nothing appears to change. The authors rightly don’t shy away from laying the responsibility of the failing system at society’s feet - laying the onus of change on all Australians.