Patrick Parkinson is Professor of Law at the University of Sydney, specializing in family law. He served from 2004-2007 as Chairperson of the Family Law Council, an advisory body to the Australian federal Attorney-General and is Editor of the Australian Journal of Family Law.Judy Cashmore is Associate Professor in the Faculty of Law at the University of Sydney. She has a PhD in developmental psychology and considerable research experience in relation to children's involvement in family law proceedings and when there are child protection issues. She is currently a member of the Judicial Commission of New South Wales.

These two Australia-based heavyweights, family lawyer and child psychologist respectively, have synthesised their skills to address one of family law's most important pieces of unfinished business. They get to the point straightaway, which is that the broad international consensus that children should be heard does not extend to how best this may be achieved...They provide a literature review, very well informed by various disciplines and the experiences of a number of jurisdictions, laced with opinions garnered from all the relevant (Ausralian) players

• Preface ; 1. The Debate About Children's Voices ; 2. The Research ; 3. The Different Ways of Hearing the Voice of the Child ; 4. Children's and Parents' Views of Children's Participation ; 6. Children's Involvement in the Litigation Process ; 7. Judicial Conversations with Children ; 8. Towards a More Responsive Legal System ; References ; Index

Patrick Parkinson is Professor of Law at the University of Sydney, specializing in family law. He served from 2004-2007 as Chairperson of the Family Law Council, an advisory body to the Australian federal Attorney-General and is Editor of the Australian Journal of Family Law.Judy Cashmore is Associate Professor in the Faculty of Law at the University of Sydney. She has a PhD in developmental psychology and considerable research experience in relation to children's involvement in family law proceedings and when there are child protection issues. She is currently a member of the Judicial Commission of New South Wales.

These two Australia-based heavyweights, family lawyer and child psychologist respectively, have synthesised their skills to address one of family law's most important pieces of unfinished business. They get to the point straightaway, which is that the broad international consensus that children should be heard does not extend to how best this may be achieved...They provide a literature review, very well informed by various disciplines and the experiences of a number of jurisdictions, laced with opinions garnered from all the relevant (Ausralian) players

• Preface ; 1. The Debate About Children's Voices ; 2. The Research ; 3. The Different Ways of Hearing the Voice of the Child ; 4. Children's and Parents' Views of Children's Participation ; 6. Children's Involvement in the Litigation Process ; 7. Judicial Conversations with Children ; 8. Towards a More Responsive Legal System ; References ; Index

Patrick Parkinson is Professor of Law at the University of Sydney, specializing in family law. He served from 2004-2007 as Chairperson of the Family Law Council, an advisory body to the Australian federal Attorney-General and is Editor of the Australian Journal of Family Law.Judy Cashmore is Associate Professor in the Faculty of Law at the University of Sydney. She has a PhD in developmental psychology and considerable research experience in relation to children's involvement in family law proceedings and when there are child protection issues. She is currently a member of the Judicial Commission of New South Wales.

These two Australia-based heavyweights, family lawyer and child psychologist respectively, have synthesised their skills to address one of family law's most important pieces of unfinished business. They get to the point straightaway, which is that the broad international consensus that children should be heard does not extend to how best this may be achieved...They provide a literature review, very well informed by various disciplines and the experiences of a number of jurisdictions, laced with opinions garnered from all the relevant (Ausralian) players

• Preface ; 1. The Debate About Children's Voices ; 2. The Research ; 3. The Different Ways of Hearing the Voice of the Child ; 4. Children's and Parents' Views of Children's Participation ; 6. Children's Involvement in the Litigation Process ; 7. Judicial Conversations with Children ; 8. Towards a More Responsive Legal System ; References ; Index