MOTHERS losing their new-born babies to Queensland child safety officials have fewer legal options as lawyers abandon the difficult work of child protection.
The $9 million child protection inquiry heard disturbing evidence on Wednesday morning of a lack of legal representation for people caught up in child protection issues.
Lawyer Katina Perrin told the inquiry, now sitting in Rockhampton, that her central Queensland firm had stopped representing vulnerable kids and their parents because it was costing the firm too much money.
"We were simply doing so many hours of work," she said.
"It was actually making the firm lose money to quite a significant extent."
She knew of only two firms in Rockhampton that would take on the work while many cases were sent to Townsville or Toowoomba.
Legal Aid funding might be provided for two hours work when at least five to six hours were required to do a competent job, she said.
Ms Perrin told the inquiry many caught up in child protection desperately needed legal representation.
With child safety officials empowered to remove a new born baby from a mother, the emotional stakes were high.
"You can pretty much expect a very hostile reception (from the parents)," she told the inquiry.
Ms Perrin said she believed removing new-born babies at hospitals was almost always unnecessary because babies were almost always safe in a hospital.
"To my mind that beggars belief," she said.
"They are under the supervision of nursing staff.
"I cannot see how they justify that as being in the interests of the child."
Removing a toddler from a family home was equally traumatic, she said.
A flurry of legal work may follow and the child may be found to have been wrongly removed, "but the damage has been done".
"Once you are removed and you are in the system, it is very hard to get out?" Commissioner Tim Carmody asked.
"Yes," Ms Perrin confirmed.
The inquiry continues.
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