We would like to share this paper by Foley’s barrister Lyndell McCreadie, examining coercive and controlling behaviour in Australian family law.

Titled “Like a Puppet on a String”, the paper draws on recent decisions, including Pickford & Pickford and Melounis & Melounis (No 6), to consider:

• the distinction between coercive behaviour, controlling behaviour and ordinary parental conflict

• the importance of assessing conduct within its broader relational context

• the impact of coercive control on children and parenting matters

• evidentiary challenges and the need to properly particularise allegations

• recent developments in the criminalisation of coercive control across Australia

Read the full paper to explore the practical considerations for family law practitioners.