A report commissioned by the Attorney-General's Department to evaluate the Family Relationship Centre Legal Assistance Partnerships Program.

In this program Family Relationships Centres (FRCs) form partnerships with federally-funded legal services, such as community legal services and legal aid commissions, to provide legal information and assistance to FRC clients. The program commenced operation in December 2009. The evaluation was conducted from July to December 2010, on the extent to which the program was achieving core objectives relating to the best interests of children, addressing power imbalances, and less adversarial dispute resolution. Overall, the findings from the evaluation suggest that despite a general acknowledgement of significant cultural differences, there is substantial respect and goodwill between community-based lawyers and FRC staff. This has contributed to higher levels of cooperation and the provision of better and more efficient services.