2026 Conference Program
| Day One- Thursday 7 May 2026 |
| |
Time | Session Title | Speaker | CPD |
8:00am | Doors open – registrations (Tea/Coffee) |
|
|
8:50am | Welcome to Country | Emmanuel Collard |
|
9:00am | Conference Overview | Mandy Drommer, Master of Ceremonies |
|
9:10am | Official Opening | Samantha Craig, Magistrate, Family Court of Western Australia |
|
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 Janet Carmichael, Executive Director, Court Children’s Service, FCFCOA
| CA
CA |
10:20am | Morning Tea |
|
|
10:50am | Lifting a National Conversation on why Children’s Voices Matter | Amanda Hunt, Director, 54 Reasons | CA |
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 | CA |
12:20pm | Lunch (60 mins) |
|
|
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 | CA
|
2:00pm | Children in Family Law Proceedings | Simone Jeavons, Managing Psychologist, Wildfire Psychology | CA
|
2:30pm | Combining Mediation Techniques & Judicial Insights in Family Law | The Honourable Simon Moncrieff SC Dragana Blackwood, Special Counsel, Lavan | CA
|
3:00pm | Afternoon Tea |
|
|
3:30pm | ‘Family Law 4 Kids’ online participation toolkit learnings | Associate Professor Georgina Dimopoulos and young people | CA
|
4:30pm | Networking / Sundowner |
|
|
| Day Two- Friday 8 May 2026 |
| |
Time | Session Title | Speaker | CPD |
8:00am | Doors open – registrations (Tea/Coffee)
|
|
|
8:50am | Conference Opening and Day 2 Overview | Mandy Drommer, Master of Ceremonies |
|
9:00am | Neurodiversity and Conflict | Dr Samantha Hardy, Director, The Conflict Management Academy | CA
|
10:30am | Morning Tea (30 mins) |
|
|
11:00am | The Child’s Voice in Legally Assisted Dispute Resolution
| Deblina Mittra, Managing Solicitor, Dispute Resolution Unit LAWA | CA |
11:30am | Seen, Safe and Heard | Huia McGlinchey, Chief Executive Officer, KEYS Carolyn Alfonso, Manager, Communities for Children – Kwinana (The Smith Family) | CA
|
12:00pm | Shielding the Child
| Tiffany Rochester, Clinical Psychologist & Co-Parenting Coach | CA
|
12:30pm | Lunch (60 mins) |
|
|
1:30pm | From Opponents to Partners in Parenting | Belle Toy, Child Consultant, FDRP, Centrecare WA Renae Sirons, Team Leader, Centrecare WA | CA
|
2:00pm | Protecting Your Capacity to do the Work That Matters | Sophie Bretag, Chief Kindness Officer, Metta Leaders | CA |
3:00pm | Networking / Afternoon Tea |
|
|
4:00pm | Close |
|
|