Legal aid expenditure for proceedings under the Children, Young Persons, and Their Families Act 1989 rose by 4.9% in the year to 30 June 2016.
This is shown by information provided by Associate Justice Minister Simon Bridges in response to a written parliamentary question from Green Party MP Darroch Ball.
Mr Ball's question asked for the total dollar value of legal aid accessed by parents to assist in responding to an interim custody order each year since 2008.
Mr Bridges responded that the legal aid services operational database does not separately identify the costs of responding to interim custody orders in cases under the Children, Young Persons, and Their Families Act 1989.
"Consequently the information provided comprises expenditure assisting people who are responding to any declarations/orders under the Act, broken down by region," he said.
Legal aid expenditure, proceedings under Children, Young Persons, and Their Families Act, year to 30 June
| Year | Expenditure | Change |
| 2009 | $ 3,643,641.00 | |
| 2010 | $ 4,360,924.16 | 19.7% |
| 2011 | $ 4,532,315.14 | 3.9% |
| 2012 | $ 4,980,618.96 | 9.9% |
| 2013 | $ 4,813,890.83 | -3.3% |
| 2014 | $ 4,979,739.49 | 3.4% |
| 2015 | $ 5,222,144.73 | 4.9% |
| 2016 | $ 5,476,077.80 | 4.9% |