The Attorney-General, George Brandis, has indicated he is open to changing laws that make it compulsory for transgender teens to seek permission from the Family Court before they transition to another gender.

Australia is the only country in the world that forces young people to seek permission from the Family Court - even if they have family approval and a doctor's go-ahead - for taking medication in order to begin the transition process.

The law has been criticised by advocates and families of transgender young people, who say it is stressful, expensive and unnecessary. Doctors need to diagnose young people under the age of 18 with gender dysphoria - a medical condition where people feel as though they were born as the wrong sex - before they consider medical intervention.

But the existing law could be set for the scrapheap, with a spokesperson for the Attorney-General saying it is under review.

"The Government is sensitive to the concerns of children and their families who are living with gender dysphoria and is actively considering options for reform."

Georgie's story

Sixteen year-old Georgie Stone has spent a lot of her young life fighting the existing laws.

She was diagnosed with gender dysphoria at just seven years old. But the feeling that she was female in a male body went back much earlier than that.

"When I was two-and-a-half years old, I told my mum I wanted to be a girl," Georgie told Hack. "My parents just dismissed that as a phase, as you would. I was very young."

At age 11, Georgie was granted the right to take puberty blockers so that she did not develop masculine characteristics. She was the youngest person in Australia to be given those drugs.

We had to jump in early because it was very urgent for me and my wellbeing."

A few years later, her family had a partial win at the High Court, which ruled that young people did not have to seek the Family Court's permission to access stage one treatment - that's the puberty blocking drugs. Stage one of the process is entirely reversible, with the effects wearing off as soon as the minor stops taking the drugs.

But trans kids still need to apply to the Family Court to access cross-sex hormones for stage two of the transitioning process.

'Biology does not wait for the court'

Georgie wants the Family Court to butt out all together.

"The only people who should be deciding what happens to my body are my parents and the doctors, but most importantly, me. The Family Court should have nothing to do with it."

Georgie's mum, Rebekah Robertson, agrees.

"There is no part of the court process that is advantageous to the young person."

Georgie said trans teens are most at risk of suicide just before they appear before the Family Court, as the process takes its toll.

"Because of the stress, anxiety and the time limit of puberty and court together... transgender people and their families are pushed to the limit," she said.

Biology does not wait for the Family Court."

Georgie reckons the process can make people go online to source hormones off the black market.

Pressure builds for change

Labor wants the Family Courts out of the decision-making process.

"You would have to be completely heartless to not empathise with the distress of these families at the expensive and frustratingly slow process currently required to access stage two hormone treatment," spokesman Graham Perrett said.

The court itself acknowledges things aren't working too well.

In July, the Chief Justice of the Family Court, Diana Bryant, told Lateline that it was time the law changed.

I accept it is difficult and stressful and we need to try and find some more simple solution."

According to Australian Story, who profiled Georgie and her family last night, the number of young people seeking help for gender dysphoria has skyrocketed.

The country's leading children's gender service at Melbourne's Royal Children's Hospital has racked up 200 new referrals this year alone.

Watch Georgie on Australian Story below.