Sometimes the Court appoints a lawyer to act as the child’s separate legal representative. The child’s legal representative would only attend the family group conference if there were legal proceedings before the Children’s Court already. This is the only time that a lawyer would be permitted to attend a family group conference.
The facilitator must invite the child’s separate legal representative to attend the family group conference. The facilitator will not appoint an advocate for the child if a separate legal representative has been appointed by the Court.
The role of the legal representative at the conference is to represent the child’s legal interests. The legal representative ensures that the conference remains focused on the child and that their best interests are promoted at all times.
After the conference, the child’s legal representative indicates to the Court whether they support the decisions made at the conference. Only a record of the agreements or decisions that were made at the conference will be given to the Court. Everything else said at the conference is confidential and will not be used in Court.