Family Law Conference 2025 - the future is here

The CLE New Zealand Law Society Family Law Conference has established itself as the “must go, not to be missed event” for all family law practitioners. With its reputation for high-quality sessions, impressive speakers, collegiality, and a memorable conference dinner, you should register now.

Keynote and international speakers include:

• Principal Family Court Judge Jacquelyn Moran will share her perspective on current issues and topics.
• Perpetua (Pepe) Kish, the director & co-founder of Balance Family Law in Canberra, will present a session named: “Kindness on Trial – a motion to rethink how we practise and why”. She founded “The Kind Lawyers” movement in 2021 and seeks to change the conversation in law from combat to kindness.
• Dr Julie Macfarlane, Professor of Law (Emerita), University of Windsor, Canada, will highlight the challenges family lawyers in New Zealand should be ready for and how to respond to the 21st century client.
• Dr Anne Purcell, a Brisbane-based dispute resolution specialist, will ask: “As our matters become more complex, is training for lawyers keeping up?”. She will focus on neurodiversity, personality disorders and difficult people, and discuss alternative approaches and tips & strategies for the 21st century lawyer’s toolkit.

Other sessions include:

• Te Au Reka – a digital court
• Tikanga in dispute resolution
• AI – don’t get left behind
• Appeals and advocacy
• Breakouts: mediation is not litigation; the tangled web of relationship property; understanding harmful sexual behaviour; a practical guide to filing an appeal; advances in drug & alcohol testing; Hague Convention and family violence; insights into fathers’ experiences after separation; key concepts of spousal maintenance; wellbeing.

Full conference information & brochure will be available after 6 July 2025.

Conference chair

  Stephen McCarthy KC, Barrister, Auckland

Learning objectives

In this conference you will be:

• Updated on topical issues, legislation and case law.
• Able to apply this knowledge in your practice.

Who should attend

All lawyers at all levels working in family law.

Pre-conference workshop – 15 October 1.00pm-5.00pm

Rethinking Approaches to COCA Cases – a toolkit for the future, today

This interactive workshop will explore new ways of resolving complex Care of Children Act 2004 (COCA) cases. It will appeal to all family lawyers 0-7 years PQE, and all those on the Lawyer for Child lists, who are looking for new ways to achieve excellent outcomes for families. Gain new insights, practical tips and be ahead of the game with your communication and approach.

The workshop will focus on improving outcomes using:

• strategic thinking
• innovative advocacy
• methods of mitigating (and not aggravating) conflict
• the proactive approach of a Lawyer for Child.

Presenters: Her Honour Judge Sarah Morrison, Rachael Dewar and Simon Mitchell KC

Social events 

Pre-conference welcome drinks

Pre-conference welcome drinks at Cordis, Auckland – the Family Law Section (supported by Haigh Lyon and Tompkins Wake) are proud to sponsor this function and welcome you to Auckland for the CLE Family Law Conference. This is a great chance to catch up with your colleagues from all around the country, meet new people, and get into the conference frame of mind.

Conference dinner

The conference dinner is at the Cordis Hotel with the dress-up theme: Back to the Future! Thursday 16 October 6.45pm-11.45pm, The Great Room, Cordis, Auckland.

Bring an additional dinner guest
The conference registration fee includes your own attendance at the dinner. If you wish to bring a guest to the dinner the cost is $185 per person. Please register your guest/s on the registration form/at the checkout.

Timings

• Pre-conference workshop: 15 October 1.00pm – 5.00pm
• Pre-conference welcome drinks: 15 October 5.30pm – 6.30pm
• Conference day 1: 16 October 9.00am – 5.00pm
• Conference dinner: 16 October 6.45pm – 11.45pm
• Conference day 2: 17 October 9.00am – 4.30pm

Book

A background book written by the presenters is available in hard copy, PDF, or both. Please indicate your choice upon registration.

• Hard Copy – Your book will be couriered to you - no extra charge
• PDF – You will be emailed a PDF copy of the book 3 working days before the event - no extra charge
• Both Hard Copy & PDF – You will be emailed a PDF copy of the book 3 working days before the event, and couriered the hard copy book – additional $65 charge

Format

This conference will include a diverse lineup of expert presenters covering a range of topics. Each session will include time for questions.

Held in-person & online. Live web stream registrants – you will be emailed a link to join the live stream one week before. For information on what is required to participate in the live web stream, click here. The most popular breakout sessions will be live streamed. A recording will be distributed aproximately one week after the event.

New! Live Stream Recordings for In-Person Attendees

In-person attendees now receive four weeks of access to live stream recordings following each session. This added benefit allows you to revisit key insights, in your own time – at your own pace, and reinforce your understanding to extend the value of your learning well beyond attending the event. Recordings will be available approximately one week after the event.

Fee (incl GST) 

For groups larger than 10 please contact us for special group rates.

Pre-Conference Workshop In-person Only

• $350 – Law Society members & associate members
• $500 – Non-members

Conference In-person

Earlybird – by 17 September 2025

• $1,775 – Law Society members & associate members
• $2,535 – Non-members
• Additional dinner guests $185 each

Registration – after 17 September 2025

• $1,975 – Law Society members & associate members
• $2,735 – Non-members
• Additional dinner guests $185 each

Conference Live Web Stream

Earlybird – by 17 September 2025

• $1,550 – Law Society members & associate members
• $2,215 – Non-members

Registration – after 17 September 2025

• $1,750 – Law Society members & associate members
• $2,415 – Non-members

Download PDF flyer & registration form

Auckland – Pre-Conference Workshop	15 October 2025
Auckland – Conference	16 – 17 October 2025
Live Web Stream – Conference	16 – 17 October 2025
I can't attend, but please let me know when the book is available to purchase.

Comments from past attendees

• “Such diverse presentations, informative and challenging, great to see different perspectives.”
• “I came away from every session with a gem of new information. The robust content was a highlight.”
• “Very informative and comprehensive materials.”
• “All the presentations explored family law from many different perspectives, and it allowed me to understand a range of important topics that impact the way family law operates.”

Cancellation and Refund Policy

You may cancel your registration eight working days in advance of an event, and you will receive a refund less a 25% administration fee. If you cancel less than eight working days in advance of the event, no refund is payable. If you are unable to attend, you may transfer your registration to another person. If you wish to do so you must advise CLE New Zealand Law Society in writing of the change. CLE reserves the right to close registrations, and cancel or reschedule an event as necessary. Where an event is cancelled by CLE, a full refund is payable.