Tiyce explained that the issues regarding access to legal services for these communities are the same concerns that have been documented in legal journals for over 20 years.

“In the report from the Alternative Law Journal from about 2000 and the election promises that were being made, and [better access to legal services] seemed to be made every time … [but you then] compare it then with the reality of what we are seeing as family law practitioners with some matters in regional communities,” he said.

During election campaigns, he pointed out that many commitments are often made “about money being thrown to the regions”, yet these promises rarely come to fruition.

Tiyce believes that such tactics and vague pledges appear to be “an attempt to capture rural, country, and remote voters”.

Despite these promises of change, Tiyce “compares [them] to the difficulties” these communities continue to encounter. He revealed that they struggle to “get hearings listed in a timely fashion”, and the scarcity of “full-time registers” forces them to rely on “circuit-registered” alternatives instead.

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The challenges rural and remote communities face go beyond court delays. Tiyce emphasised that access to “contact services”, which he said are “really important in the family law sphere”, is also severely restricted.

While technology has become increasingly central in legal proceedings and has been “a real game changer”, he also stressed that it’s essential to recognise that “there’s always going to be a need for face-to-face services provision”.

“My only experience of a parenting matter over COVID, which was done entirely remotely, was that it didn’t provide great outcomes for anyone that was involved. That’s not a criticism of the court. It was just a horrible way of trying to run a matter,” he said.

“You had counsel in their chambers, me out at my remote farm and the client sitting at their dining room while cross-examination is happening, trying to get instructions on the run. It just works really poorly.”

During the election process, Tiyce noted that he hadn’t heard “a single thing said by not only either party, but any alternate party, including parties that you would think would be interested in the representation of rural and remote Australians”.

While improving access to essential legal services in rural and remote communities should be a top priority, Tiyce said he “can’t see a lot [of] change” occurring unless “a lot of noise starts being made by rural Australians”.