Location Order — Find a Child (Family Law Act s.67J) — FCFCOA Application

Issuing authority

Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia (FCFCOA)

Official source

How to apply

1. Obtain urgent legal advice immediately — a Location Order is typically sought alongside or as part of a Recovery Order application and can be made on an urgent ex-parte basis
2. If no parenting orders are in place, prepare an Initiating Application (Family Law) — include the request for a Location Order and, if needed, a Recovery Order within that application
3. If parenting proceedings are already on foot, file an Application in a Case to add the Location Order request to existing proceedings
4. Prepare and file an Affidavit — Family Law and Child Support setting out the facts: when the child was last seen, who is believed to have them, attempts to locate, and any risk to the child
5. File at the nearest FCFCOA registry or via the Commonwealth Courts Portal (courts.gov.au); pay the Initiating Application filing fee — from 1 July 2025, $435 for parenting-only orders
6. Request urgent or same-day listing if the child may be at risk of harm or removal from Australia — the court can make orders without notice (ex-parte) in emergencies
7. If granted, the Location Order is served on the named third parties (police, government agencies, schools) who must then report the child's location to the court
8. Once the child's location is confirmed, apply for or enforce a Recovery Order if the child needs to be returned
9. Attend all subsequent court dates and comply with any interim parenting orders made at the first hearing

Related topics

Related forms

• Divorce Application
• Parenting Orders ApplicationInitiating Application
• Application for Consent OrdersApplication for Consent Orders
• Child Support Assessment
• Enduring Power of Attorney