My sister forged a police report to try and take my son; now I have an IVO and a family court date

I’m in Victoria, Australia. My sister Jade sent me a letter from a lawyer threatening to apply for a parenting order, claiming I’m an unfit mother because of a supposed history of substance abuse and emotional instability. She included what she said was a police report from a drug bust at my house, but I’ve never had any involvement with police like that.

A few days later, Jade contacted my son’s school principal, claiming she had an interim court order and demanding to take him at pickup. The principal called me, panicked, and I drove straight there. When I arrived, Jade was in the office with a printed document that looked official. I took my son and left, but the principal said she’d have to notify the Department of Families, Fairness and Housing.

I went to Ruth Patel, a family lawyer. She checked the police report Jade cited. The station number doesn’t exist, and the officer named hasn’t worked there in years. Ruth also found out Jade has been secretly recording our phone calls, including a recent one where I was upset about the school incident. She said that under the Surveillance Devices Act 1999, that’s illegal in Victoria without consent.

I filed a cross-application for a family violence intervention order against Jade at the Magistrates’ Court, citing the harassment and the forged document. I gave a sworn statement to the police about the attempted school pickup, and they said they’d investigate for potential criminal charges, including using a forged instrument.

At a directions hearing in the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia, the magistrate dismissed Jade’s interim application because there was no credible evidence. She warned Jade about the forged document and said it could affect any future applications. The child will remain with me pending a full hearing. I was granted an interim IVO, which means Jade can’t contact me or come near my son’s school.

The full family court hearing is in three months. Jade’s lawyer says she’ll still push for a parenting order, arguing that my past marijuana use during my pregnancy—which I told her about years ago—makes me unfit. I’ve been clean since my son was born, and I have urine screens from my GP to prove it. The child’s father died when he was a baby; I have sole parental responsibility by default.

What are my rights here? Can Jade get custody based on a lie and a recording she made illegally? Should I be talking to Family Court about the forged police report now, or wait for the hearing?