2026 Intensives
Day 2 of the 2026 Family Law and Care & Protection Conference offers three intensive streams, allowing participants to explore topics in greater depth through practical, interactive and specialist sessions.
Open to both Legal Aid NSW staff and external practitioners, the intensives cater to a variety of experience levels and support targeted professional development.
The Day 2 intensives offer participants the opportunity to explore topics in greater depth, whether they are looking to strengthen their care and protection practice, build confidence in child support and domestic and family violence matters, or engage with complex and emerging legal issues.
Please note:
- Participants may select one intensive stream only.
- Each intensive comprises both a morning and afternoon session (3 hours in total).
- The Child Support and Domestic and Family Violence sessions form a single intensive stream and cannot be selected separately or combined with another intensive.
How to register:
You will be asked to select your preferred intensive stream during the conference registration process.
Click on an image to find out more about the Intensives.
Care & Protection Intensive
Experience level: Suitable for all levels of experience.
This intensive is designed for practitioners and allied professionals with an interest in care and protection practice.
Session 1 | DRCs – What's in it for my Client?
Dispute Resolution Conferences play an important role in care proceedings, but how can practitioners use them most effectively to advance their client's interests and create meaningful opportunities for participation?
This interactive workshop will explore how preparation, strategy and case theory can be used to maximise the value of DRCs at different stages of proceedings. Participants will work through practical scenarios examining how DRCs can be used to support effective advocacy, improve outcomes and ensure client voices are heard throughout the court process.
Session 2 | Permanency Planning – Appropriate and Adequate?
When is permanency planning "good enough"? The Children's Court is required to determine whether there is a realistic possibility of restoration for a child, but it may also refuse to make final orders where permanency planning has not been appropriately and adequately addressed. What does this mean for practitioners? What arguments can be made? What should practitioners look for when advocating for children and families?
Through practical discussion and scenario-based learning, participants will explore permanency planning in practice, including cultural planning, advocacy for Aboriginal children and families, and the role practitioners can play in ensuring permanency planning requirements have been properly addressed before final orders are made.
Intensive A
Care & Protection
Care & Protection Intensive
Experience level: Suitable for all levels of experience.
This intensive is designed for practitioners and allied professionals with an interest in care and protection practice.
Session 1 | Permanency Planning – Appropriate and Adequate?
When is permanency planning "good enough"? The Children's Court is required to determine whether there is a realistic possibility of restoration for a child, but it may also refuse to make final orders where permanency planning has not been appropriately and adequately addressed. What does this mean for practitioners? What arguments can be made? What should practitioners look for when advocating for children and families?
Through practical discussion and scenario-based learning, participants will explore permanency planning in practice, including cultural planning, advocacy for Aboriginal children and families, and the role practitioners can play in ensuring permanency planning requirements have been properly addressed before final orders are made.
Session 2 | DRCs – What's in it for my Client?
Dispute Resolution Conferences play an important role in care proceedings, but how can practitioners use them most effectively to advance their client's interests and create meaningful opportunities for participation?
This interactive workshop will explore how preparation, strategy and case theory can be used to maximise the value of DRCs at different stages of proceedings. Participants will work through practical scenarios examining how DRCs can be used to support effective advocacy, improve outcomes and ensure client voices are heard throughout the court process.
Domestic & Family Violence AND Child Support
Experience level: Suitable for all levels of experience.
This intensive combines two practical sessions designed to strengthen everyday practice across family law matters. Both legal practitioners and allied professionals are welcome to attend these sessions.
Session 1 | Domestic & Family Violence: Working With People Who Use Family Violence
Presented by Dr Jessica Seamer, this practical masterclass will focus on working effectively and safely with people who use violence.
Through a combination of presentation and case study analysis, participants will explore:
- What to expect when working with a person who uses violence
- Avoiding collusion
- Navigating challenging interactions
- Practical approaches that can be applied immediately in practice
Session 2 | Child Support: Practical Tips and Common Pitfalls
The Child Support Scheme was designed to help parents reach arrangements for the financial support of their children without having to go to court. While many family lawyers only engage with child support in the context of Binding Child Support Agreements, child support issues frequently arise alongside family law disputes and can have significant consequences for families.
Legal Aid NSW's specialist Child Support Service provides daily advice through its busy advice clinics, with solicitors regularly appearing in court and tribunal proceedings. Drawing on this practical experience, this session will explore common pitfalls, useful tips and key features of the child support system that every family lawyer should understand.
Whether you are new to child support or looking to refresh your knowledge, this session will help build your confidence in understanding the child support system and navigating common issues that arise in family law practice.
Intensive B
Domestic & Family Violence AND Child Support
Domestic & Family Violence AND Child Support
Experience level: Suitable for all levels of experience.
This intensive combines two practical sessions designed to strengthen everyday practice across family law matters. Both legal practitioners and allied professionals are welcome to attend these sessions.
Session 1 | Domestic & Family Violence: Working With People Who Use Family Violence
Presented by Dr Jessica Seamer, this practical masterclass will focus on working effectively and safely with people who use violence.
Through a combination of presentation and case study analysis, participants will explore:
- What to expect when working with a person who uses violence
- Avoiding collusion
- Navigating challenging interactions
- Practical approaches that can be applied immediately in practice
Session 2 | Child Support: Practical Tips and Common Pitfalls
The Child Support Scheme was designed to help parents reach arrangements for the financial support of their children without having to go to court. While many family lawyers only engage with child support in the context of Binding Child Support Agreements, child support issues frequently arise alongside family law disputes and can have significant consequences for families.
Legal Aid NSW's specialist Child Support Service provides daily advice through its busy advice clinics, with solicitors regularly appearing in court and tribunal proceedings. Drawing on this practical experience, this session will explore common pitfalls, useful tips and key features of the child support system that every family lawyer should understand.
Whether you are new to child support or looking to refresh your knowledge, this session will help build your confidence in understanding the child support system and navigating common issues that arise in family law practice.
Cross-Jurisdictional Child Representation and Complex Litigation
Experience level: Intermediate to experienced legal practitioners.
Developed by the Appeals and Complex Litigation Unit, this intensive focuses on complex legal issues, specialist areas of practice and recent developments across family law, care and protection and related jurisdictions.
Session 1 | NCAT 101 and Separate Representation
- This session will explore the interaction between NCAT, alternative dispute resolution and the Care Act, with a focus on the role of separate representatives in NCAT proceedings.
- Participants will consider the practical issues that can arise for separate representatives in NCAT matters, including the value of this work and some of the challenges that may arise in practice.
Appeals in Focus
- This interactive session will consider recent appeals and significant first instance decisions relevant to the division.
- Participants will engage with recent decisions and consider their relevance to family law and care and protection practice.
Session 2 | Adoption and Separate Representation
- This session will examine the role of separate representatives in adoption proceedings.
- The Appeals and Complex Litigation Unit is developing a paper on this topic, which will be presented as part of the session and made available as a resource for participants.
Medical Treatment for Minors
- This session will explore legal issues arising in matters involving medical treatment for minors.
- Topics will include life-saving and life-preserving treatment, parental consent, the Care Act and the parens patriae jurisdiction. The session will draw on recent medical treatment matters involving minors before moving into a broader panel discussion about these issues in practice.
Intensive C
Cross-Jurisdictional Child Representation and Complex Litigation
Appeals and complex litigation intensive
Experience level: Intermediate to experienced legal practitioners.
Developed by the Appeals and Complex Litigation Unit, this intensive focuses on complex legal issues, specialist areas of practice and recent developments across family law, care and protection and related jurisdictions.
Session 1 | NCAT 101 and Separate Representation
- This session will explore the interaction between NCAT, alternative dispute resolution and the Care Act, with a focus on the role of separate representatives in NCAT proceedings.
- Participants will consider the practical issues that can arise for separate representatives in NCAT matters, including the value of this work and some of the challenges that may arise in practice.
Appeals in Focus
- This interactive session will consider recent appeals and significant first instance decisions relevant to the division.
- Participants will engage with recent decisions and consider their relevance to family law and care and protection practice.
Session 2 | Adoption and Separate Representation
- This session will examine the role of separate representatives in adoption proceedings.
- The Appeals and Complex Litigation Unit is developing a paper on this topic, which will be presented as part of the session and made available as a resource for participants.
Medical Treatment for Minors
- This session will explore legal issues arising in matters involving medical treatment for minors.
- Topics will include life-saving and life-preserving treatment, parental consent, the Care Act and the parens patriae jurisdiction. The session will draw on recent medical treatment matters involving minors before moving into a broader panel discussion about these issues in practice.