WA Family Court – Kalgoorlie Courthouse List Today

The Family Court of Western Australia sits on circuit in Kalgoorlie to hear divorce, parenting and property matters for families across the Goldfields-Esperance region. Sittings are held at the Kalgoorlie Courthouse at 208 Hannan Street, Kalgoorlie WA 6430, the same complex that houses the local Magistrates, District, Supreme and Coroners jurisdictions. Because Western Australia runs the only stand-alone state family court in the country, families in Kalgoorlie-Boulder do not deal with the federal system that applies everywhere else. Instead, their matters are governed by the Family Court Act 1997 (WA) and the Family Law Act 1975 (Cth), heard by a court that travels out from Perth on set dates rather than operating a permanent registry in the region.

This page explains how the Family Court operates when it sits in Kalgoorlie, what types of matters it hears, the timelines and fees that apply, and how to access the daily cause list so you know when and where your matter is listed. Court dates, sitting arrangements and listings change frequently, so the information below is a practical guide rather than legal advice, and you should always confirm your specific listing before travelling to the courthouse.

The Family Court of Western Australia and its Kalgoorlie circuit

The Family Court of Western Australia was established under state legislation and commenced operation in 1976, making it a unique feature of the Australian court hierarchy. It is the only state-based family court in Australia. Every other state and territory refers family law to the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia, but Western Australia retained its own jurisdiction, which is why a family separating in Kalgoorlie is dealt with differently from one separating in, say, Adelaide or Brisbane.

Full-time sittings take place in Perth, while a smaller number of sittings are held on circuit in regional centres including Albany, Broome, Bunbury, Geraldton and Kalgoorlie. The court is led by Chief Judge Gail Sutherland, who has held the role since January 2019, and is authorised to run up to 25 judicial positions across its two tiers. Judges of the Family Court hear the most complex disputes, while a Magistrates Division deals with less complex applications in a more accessible and cost-effective forum. When the court visits Kalgoorlie, a judicial officer travels the 595 kilometres east from Perth to hear matters locally, sparing Goldfields families a long trip to the metropolitan registry.

Why Kalgoorlie families use a circuit court

Kalgoorlie-Boulder is the largest city in the Goldfields-Esperance region, with a population of around 29,072 recorded at the 2021 Census. It serves as the administrative and legal hub for a vast and sparsely populated area that stretches from the wheatbelt to the South Australian border. Running a circuit into Kalgoorlie reduces the barriers of distance and cost that would otherwise fall on remote families, although it does not eliminate them entirely. Circuit dates are limited, so demand for each sitting can be high, and matters that cannot be reached on a scheduled day may be adjourned to the next available circuit or dealt with by telephone or video link from Perth.

What the Family Court hears when it sits in Kalgoorlie

The Kalgoorlie circuit of the Family Court deals with the full range of family law matters, applying both Commonwealth and Western Australian legislation. The jurisdiction is broad because Western Australia only partially referred its family law powers to the Commonwealth and kept authority over de facto relationships. This means the WA Family Court hears matters for both married and de facto couples, including same-sex couples, under state law, which is a genuine point of difference from the rest of the country.

Matters commonly listed on the Kalgoorlie circuit include:

• Divorce applications ending a marriage once the couple has been separated for at least 12 months and one day.
• Parenting orders setting out the care, welfare and development arrangements for children after separation.
• Property settlement dividing assets, liabilities and financial resources following the breakdown of a marriage or de facto relationship.
• Spousal and de facto maintenance where one party needs financial support after separation.
• Child support disputes connected to assessments and agreements.
• Adoption and surrogacy matters under the relevant Western Australian legislation.

De facto couples and the Western Australian difference

Because Western Australia retained jurisdiction over de facto relationships, couples who lived together on a genuine domestic basis have access to the same property and parenting frameworks as married couples. There is one significant carve-out that Kalgoorlie families should be aware of: de facto parties in Western Australia are not permitted to split superannuation in a property settlement, and the court instead treats superannuation as a financial resource of the parties. Married couples, by contrast, can seek superannuation splitting orders. This distinction can materially affect how a settlement is structured, which is why de facto matters in WA often require careful advice.

Divorce timelines, separation and time limits

An application for divorce can be filed 12 months and one day after the date of separation, either by one party alone or jointly by both. In Western Australia the divorce process itself typically takes around 8 to 12 weeks to finalise once filed, though the exact timing depends on the workload of the court and whether service on the other party is straightforward. A sole applicant must serve the other party with a copy of the application within set timeframes before the matter can proceed.

The time limits that follow separation are strict and easy to miss. Married parties seeking property settlement or spousal maintenance must commence proceedings within 12 months of a divorce order taking effect. De facto parties must act within two years of the date of separation. Where a de facto relationship lasted less than two years, the court will generally not make property orders unless specific circumstances apply. Parenting matters, by contrast, carry no equivalent time limit, but orders can only be sought while the child is under 18. In some cases the court may grant leave to proceed out of time, particularly where hardship would otherwise result or both parties consent, but relying on that discretion is risky.

How the court approaches children's matters

When deciding parenting arrangements, the court's paramount consideration is the best interests of the child. Two considerations sit at the centre of that assessment: the benefit to the child of a meaningful relationship with both parents, and the need to protect the child from harm, abuse or neglect. Where those two factors are in tension, protection from harm prevails. The court considers evidence of family violence when assessing parenting arrangements and will apply the presumption of equal shared parental responsibility only where it is safe and appropriate to do so. Family violence in Western Australia is dealt with primarily under the Restraining Orders Act 1997 (WA), which allows a person to apply for a Family Violence Restraining Order, and WA Police can also issue Police Orders for immediate protection.

Court fees, filing and the eCourts Portal

Court fees in family law are set by federal regulation and are reviewed each year, with the most recent increase taking effect on 1 July 2026. Fees are not set by the court itself and GST does not apply to them. As a guide, an initiating application seeking parenting or financial orders attracts a filing fee in the hundreds of dollars, and an accompanying application for interim orders adds a further fee. Divorce applications carry their own separate fee. Concessions matter here: if you hold certain government concession cards, are receiving legal aid, are a minor, are in custody, or can demonstrate financial hardship, you may be entitled to a reduced fee for a divorce application or an exemption for other applications.

All document lodgement at the Family Court of Western Australia is now handled through the eCourts Portal rather than over the counter. To use the portal you need a file number and participant ID, which you obtain by contacting the Family Court call centre on (08) 9224 8222. The court has also warned the public about at least one scam website posing as an official online divorce portal that charges a fee to complete and lodge applications, so it is important to lodge only through the official eCourts system or with a qualified family lawyer.

Contacting the Kalgoorlie Courthouse

The Kalgoorlie Courthouse can be reached on (08) 9093 5300, by fax on (08) 9021 2005, or by email at kalgoorliecourt@justice.wa.gov.au. The court registry operates Monday to Friday from 9.00 am to 4.00 pm, with telephones answered until 4.30 pm. Email responses can take up to five business days, so for anything urgent it is best to telephone. Family Court sittings at Kalgoorlie have historically been listed on set dates and typically commenced in the morning, so confirming your listing time in advance is essential. Time-limited parking is available on Hannan Street and parts of Brookman and Egan Streets, and ACROD-permit disabled parking is available at the rear of the court.

How family law fits into the wider Goldfields court picture

The Kalgoorlie Courthouse is a genuine multi-jurisdictional venue. Alongside the Family Court circuit, the same building hosts the local Kalgoorlie Magistrates Court, which handles criminal, civil and traffic matters and also sits as the Children's Court for summary criminal matters involving young people. The District Court circuit in Kalgoorlie runs trial listing hearings by video link and sits for more serious indictable matters, while the Supreme Court visits several times a year and a Coroners Court also operates from the venue. Families sometimes have matters running across more than one of these jurisdictions at once, for example a parenting dispute in the Family Court alongside a restraining order application in the Magistrates Court.

For matters that need the metropolitan registry, the principal Family Court building in Perth handles full-time sittings and the more complex or contested trials that cannot be accommodated within a limited regional circuit. If you are checking listings across the state, our Western Australia court listings hub brings together daily lists for every sitting venue, from the Perth central law courts to remote Goldfields circuits, in one place.

Family law in context: the numbers

Family separation touches a large share of the community, and the statistics help put the Kalgoorlie circuit's work in perspective. Across Australia, the Australian Bureau of Statistics recorded 48,700 divorces granted in 2023 and 47,216 in 2024, with the crude divorce rate easing to 2.1 divorces per 1,000 people aged 16 and over in 2024. Western Australia bucked the national trend on the marriage side, with marriage numbers rising 16.8 per cent in 2023 while the two largest eastern states fell. The median duration of marriage from wedding to divorce reached 13.2 years in 2024, and the median age at divorce sat at 47.1 years for men and 44.1 years for women. The Family Court of Western Australia contributes the WA share of these national figures, since the ABS draws its divorce data directly from the WA court as well as the federal courts.

Demand on the court continues to grow. The Family Court of Western Australia reported that divorce applications on hand rose 6.2 per cent in its most recent published review, and it commenced construction of an additional Perth courtroom in October 2023 to help manage the workload. Rising caseloads at the centre have flow-on effects for regional circuits like Kalgoorlie, where sitting days are finite and the volume of matters waiting to be heard shapes how quickly a family can reach a final hearing.

Preparing for a Family Court date in Kalgoorlie

A little preparation goes a long way when the court is only in town for limited days. The following steps help most self-represented parties and litigants arrive ready:

• Confirm your listing. Check the daily cause list and confirm the date, time and courtroom before travelling, as circuit listings can change at short notice.
• Lodge documents early. File through the eCourts Portal well ahead of the sitting so your papers are before the judicial officer on the day.
• Arrange service properly. If you are the applicant in a sole divorce, make sure the other party has been served within the required timeframe.
• Bring identification and copies. Have photo ID and spare copies of your key documents in case they are needed.
• Plan for parking and security. Allow time for time-limited street parking and courthouse security screening.
• Consider advice. Even a single consultation with a family lawyer or a visit to a community legal service can clarify your options before you attend.

Frequently asked questions

Does the Family Court have a permanent registry in Kalgoorlie?

No. The Family Court of Western Australia is based in Perth and travels to Kalgoorlie on circuit for set sitting dates. Matters that cannot be dealt with on a circuit day may be adjourned or handled remotely by telephone or video link from the Perth registry.

Where does the Family Court sit in Kalgoorlie?

Family Court circuit matters are heard at the Kalgoorlie Courthouse at 208 Hannan Street, Kalgoorlie WA 6430, the same complex used by the Magistrates, District, Supreme and Coroners jurisdictions.

Can de facto couples use the Family Court in Western Australia?

Yes. Western Australia retained jurisdiction over de facto relationships, so de facto couples, including same-sex couples, can seek parenting and property orders. The main limitation is that de facto parties cannot split superannuation, which is treated as a financial resource rather than divided.

How long after separation can I apply for divorce?

You can file a divorce application 12 months and one day after separating. The divorce itself usually takes around 8 to 12 weeks to finalise once lodged, depending on the court's workload and service on the other party.

How do I file family law documents for a Kalgoorlie matter?

All lodgement is now done through the official eCourts Portal. You will need a file number and participant ID, which you can obtain by phoning the Family Court call centre on (08) 9224 8222. Be cautious of unofficial websites claiming to lodge divorce applications for a fee.

How can I find out when my matter is listed?

Check the daily cause list for the Kalgoorlie sitting before you attend, and phone the Kalgoorlie Courthouse on (08) 9093 5300 if you need to confirm your listing time or courtroom.