Costs – provision of a lawyer through the Family Violence and Cross-examination of Parties Scheme is not legal aid, such that the recipient is still exposed to the costs of an ICL

In Legal Aid ACT & Westwell [2021] FamCAFC 50 (15 April 2021) the Full Court (Ainslie-Wallace, Ryan & Aldridge JJ) heard Legal Aid ACT’s appeal from Gill J’s refusal to make an order for costs in favour of the independent children lawyer (ICL).

The mother discontinued parenting…