WEAVER & MAHER

The parties involved were Weaver and Maher. The dispute concerned a request for the Secretary of the NSW Department of Family and Community Services to intervene in proceedings pursuant to section 91B of the *Family Law Act 1975* (Cth). The matter came before Hannam J.

The central legal issue before the court was whether the Secretary of the NSW Department of Family and Community Services should be permitted to intervene in the proceedings. This required the court to consider the reasons for making an order for intervention under section 91B of the *Family Law Act 1975*.

Hannam J considered the purpose of section 91B, which allows for the intervention of a state or territory agency in proceedings where it appears to the court that the child concerned is, or is likely to be, a child in relation to whom a child welfare law of the state or territory applies. The court's reasoning focused on whether the circumstances of the case warranted the intervention of the Department, assessing the potential impact on the child and the relevance of state child welfare laws. The court applied the principles governing intervention orders under the *Family Law Act 1975*, balancing the interests of the parties with the paramount consideration of the child's welfare.