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The purpose of this Practice Direction is to set out the practice and procedure of the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia (Division 2) (Court) for the case management of all proceedings brought under the Admiralty Act 1988 (Cth) (admiralty and maritime proceedings) in the Court.

This Practice Direction applies nationally from 1 September 2021 to all intellectual property proceedings in the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia.

This Central Practice Direction applies nationally to all general federal law proceedings commenced in the Court from 1 September 2025. It does not apply to migration or family law proceedings.

The purpose of this Practice Direction is to set out the practice and procedure of the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia (Division 2) (Court) for the case management of its migration caseload. It does not otherwise apply to general federal law proceedings.

This Practice Direction sets out the procedure for all family law appeals and applications for leave to appeal from a judgment of a judge of the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia exercising the original jurisdiction of the Court; a single judge of a Supreme Court of a State or Territory exercising the original jurisdiction of the Court; or a family law Magistrate of Western Australia.

This Practice Direction sets out the procedure for all family law proceedings with respect to child support and/or child maintenance (including overseas child maintenance) and child support appeal.

This Practice Direction applies to family law proceedings under the Trans-Tasman Proceedings Act 2010 filed in the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia. The Trans-Tasman Proceedings Act 2010 does not apply to family law proceedings in respect of an application made under the Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction signed at The Hague on 25 October 1980; and relating to the status or property of a person who is not fully able to manage his or her own affairs.

This Practice Direction applies to applications for parenting orders filed in the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia in relation to a child born under a surrogacy arrangement, whether such arrangement is recognised under the laws of a State of Australia or otherwise. It does not apply to surrogacy proceedings where final parenting orders under Part VII of the Family Law Act 1975 have already been made in relation to the child.

This Practice Direction applies to family law applications seeking orders relating solely to a passport filed in the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia, including applications for orders to obtain or renew a passport; applications for orders for the delivery of a passport under section 67ZD of the Family Law Act 1975; and applications for injunctions related to passports under sections 68B or 114 of the Family Law Act.

This Practice Direction applies to all family law applications and proceedings filed in the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia for an order that a marriage is a nullity; and a declaration as to the validity of a marriage, divorce or annulment of a marriage.

This Practice Direction applies to all family law applications filed in the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia relating to a child undertaking a major medical procedure.

This Practice Direction sets out the procedure for all family law proceedings seeking parenting orders or any other order under Part VII of the Family Law Act 1975, save and except for surrogacy proceedings, passport proceedings, medical procedure proceedings or child maintenance proceedings.