The Albanese Government has delivered a third tranche of family law reforms to make the family law system simpler, safer and fairer for all Australian families.
The Family Law Amendment Bill 2024 ensures, for the first time, that family and domestic violence can be taken into consideration in property settlements for separating families.
Shockingly, family violence is present in 80 per cent of parenting matters before family courts.
The new law:
- ensures the economic impact of family violence is considered where relevant as part of dividing property and finances
- ensures the care and housing needs of children are considered in financial and property decisions
- ensures financial information is disclosed at the earliest opportunity to promote the early resolution of disputes
- expands the court's ability to use less adversarial approaches in all types of proceedings
- establishes a regulatory framework for Children's Contact Services to ensure the provision of safe and child-focussed services for children whose families are unable to safely manage contact arrangements on their own
We know that pets are too often used and abused in cycles of family violence. The new law means that courts will consider a range of factors, including family violence, when determining ownership of pets to better protect everyone in the family.
These reforms build on the Albanese Government's landmark changes to the Family Law Act that came into effect on 6 May 2024 which put the best interests of children at the centre of parenting decisions in family law matters.
The Family Law Amendment Act 2023 and the Family Law Amendment (Information Sharing) Act 2023 established new information sharing arrangements to protect against family safety risks and put the best interests of children at the centre of all parenting decisions in family law matters.
I thank everyone who has contributed to the Albanese Government's landmark reform of the Family Law Act, particularly the victims and survivors of family and domestic violence who advocated tirelessly for change and generously shared their experiences.
