2026 Conference Program
| Day One- Thursday 7 May 2026 |
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Time | Session Title | Speaker | CPD |
8:00am | Doors open – registrations (Tea/Coffee) |
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8:50am | Welcome to Country | Emmanuel Collard |
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9:00am | Conference Overview | Mandy Drommer, Master of Ceremonies |
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9:10am | Official Opening | Samantha Craig, Magistrate, Family Court of Western Australia |
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9:20am | Keynote: Children’s Rights – why they matter
Putting children’s rights into effect in family court | Anne Hollonds AO, Australia’ s National Children’s Commissioner 2020-2025 Janet Carmichael, Executive Director, Court Children’s Service, FCFCOA | CA1 |
10:20am | Morning Tea (30 mins) |
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10:50am | Lifting a National Conversation on why Children’s Voices Matter | Amanda Hunt, Director, 54 Reasons | CA3 |
11:20am | Exploring the rationale to interview children or not | Eric Martino, Magistrate, Family Court of WA Samantha Padfield, Registrar, Family Court of WA Kevin Hanavan, Team Leader, Family Court Counselling & Consultancy Service Bev Matthews, Team Leader, FCWA Co-Located Team, Dept of Communities | CA4 |
12:20pm | Lunch (60 mins) |
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1:20pm | Understanding family disputes and the impact on schooling | Mr Graham Wimbridge, General Counsel, Department of Education Melissa Gillett, President, WA Secondary School Executives Association Niel Smith, President, WA Primary Principals Association | CA2 |
2:00pm | Children in Family Law Proceedings | Simone Jeavons, Managing Psychologist, Wildfire Psychology | CA4 |
2:30pm | Combining Mediation Techniques & Judicial Insights in Family Law | The Honourable Simon Moncrieff SC Dragana Blackwood, Special Counsel, Lavan | CA4 |
3:00pm | Afternoon Tea (30 mins) |
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3:30pm | ‘Family Law 4 Kids’ online participation toolkit learnings | Associate Professor Georgina Dimopoulos and young people | CA2 |
4:30pm | Networking / Sundowner |
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| Day Two- Friday 8 May 2026 |
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Time | Session Title | Speaker | CPD |
8:00am | Doors open – registrations (Tea/Coffee) |
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8:50am | Conference Opening and Day 2 Overview | Mandy Drommer, Master of Ceremonies |
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9:00am | Neurodiversity and Conflict | Dr Samantha Hardy, Director, The Conflict Management Academy | CA2 |
10:30am | Morning Tea (30 mins) |
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11:00am | The Child’s Voice in Legally Assisted Dispute Resolution | Deblina Mittra, Managing Solicitor, Dispute Resolution Unit LAWA Joy Taylor, Managing Solicitor, Dispute Resolution Unit LAWA | CA4 |
11:30am | Seen, Safe and Heard | Huia McGlinchey, Chief Executive Officer, KEYS Carolyn Alfonso, Manager, Communities for Children – Kwinana (The Smith Family) | CA2 |
12:00pm | Shielding the Child | Tiffany Rochester, Clinical Psychologist & Co-Parenting Coach | CA3 |
12:30pm | Lunch (60 mins) |
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1:30pm | From Opponents to Partners in Parenting | Belle Toy, Child Consultant, FDRP, Centrecare WA Renae Sirons, Team Leader, Centrecare WA | CA2 |
2:00pm | Protecting Your Capacity to do the Work That Matters | Sophie Bretag, Chief Kindness Officer, Metta Leaders | CA1 |
3:00pm | Networking / Afternoon Tea |
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4:00pm | Close |
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