The Federal Government will launch an inquiry into the family law system, after accusations the court system is failing vulnerable Australians.

Key points: Coalition backbenchers had joined with Pauline Hanson in pushing for an inquiry into the family law system

Coalition backbenchers had joined with Pauline Hanson in pushing for an inquiry into the family law system The review, headed up by former social services minister Kevin Andrews, will also examine child support

The review, headed up by former social services minister Kevin Andrews, will also examine child support A report released earlier this year recommended sweeping changes to the system

Coalition backbenchers and the crossbench, including One Nation leader Pauline Hanson, have been calling for an inquiry for some time, arguing the system is too expensive and slow.

The inquiry will be run by former social services minister and long-serving Liberal MP Kevin Andrews.

A tearful Senator Hanson welcomed the announcement, saying it was something she had campaigned for since her first stint in Parliament in 1996.

"It's not the Pauline Hanson inquiry, this is the Australian people's inquiry," she said.

"For those contemplating suicide and facing potential family violence, I'm asking you to stop and know you have finally been heard.

"I beg you, please give me a chance to try and make change."

The crossbencher said she wanted to be an active member of the inquiry, which she argued was not a condition of her support for Coalition legislation.

"There was no bargaining chip, I actually put my case forward to the Prime Minister, and I put my case forward to the Parliament," she said.

Concerns review will cause further delays

In 2017, the Federal Government ordered the Australian Law Reform Commission (ALRC) to conduct a wide-ranging review of the system.

That report was released earlier this year, and recommended sweeping changes including scrapping the current Family Court and giving the states the power to judge such cases.

While waiting for that review to be released, Attorney-General Christian Porter announced plans to merge the Family Court and Federal Circuit Court in a bid to ease crippling delays in the system.

That proposal was widely canned by lawyers, arguing it was a policy developed by spreadsheet rather than with the best interests of families at heart.

Responding to the announcement, Angela Lynch from the Women's Legal Service of Queensland said she held concerns the review would delay much-needed reform to the sector, noting the Government has not even responded to the ALRC report.

"How many more women and children have to die in this system, and we are now going to wait another 12 months?" she said.

"We were told to wait 18 months when the previous ALRC report was established.

"And now .… women and children are required to wait another 12 months before this inquiry and its recommendations."