The Supreme Court of Nevada, Administrative Office of the Courts, has contracted with the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges (NCJFCJ) to complete an assessment of Family Courts in Washoe and Clark Counties.
The Nevada Family Court Assessment will determine whether the Family Courts are meeting expectations of lawmakers and families, following state and local court rules, and resolving legal disputes timely and effectively.
The National Center for Juvenile Justice (NCJJ), the research division of the NCJFCJ, will spend three months on phone interviews, electronic surveys, and site visits of the Family Courts in Las Vegas and Reno.
During the process, the NCJJ will review performance statistics and establish a baseline for the resolution of family law cases in Nevada. The statistics and interviews will be used to determine how Nevada’s family courts compare with best practices and other jurisdictions.
“This assessment will provide the public and the Supreme Court with a better understanding of how the Family Courts are meeting the intent of the Legislature and whether they serve their communities timely and effectively,” said Justice James W. Hardesty, who negotiated the Assessment with the NCJJ. “Family Courts are an important part of our judicial system. While various aspects of the system have been reviewed since the Family Court was created in 1991, we have not conducted an in-depth study of the entire system. It is timely and appropriate in order to provide a better understanding of how family courts are working, whether they have sufficient resources, how they can improve, and how they compare with best practices and other courts across the country.”
After the interviews and statistical research, the NCJJ will deliver a report to the Supreme Court of Nevada for judicial review, including possible changes to Family Court rules and procedures.
The report is expected to be ready by August 2019.