• When families change

  • Practice and procedure update: Regulation changes in family law commenced 1 April 2025

    The following Regulations commenced on 1 April 2025: The Family Law Regulations 2024 replace the 1984 Regulations; The Family Law (Superannuation) Regulations 2025 replace the 2001 Regulations; The Family Law (Family Dispute Resolution Practitioners) Regulations 2025 replace the 2008 Regulations. As a result, there will be changes to the following family law court forms which are to be used from 1 April 2025. Please note that the changes are largely updating section references where the…

  • Family Law Practice Direction: Arbitration

    This Practice Direction applies to the following arbitrations under the Family Law Act 1975: a court-ordered arbitration ordered pursuant to section 13E of the Family Law Act; and a relevant property or financial arbitration as defined in section 10L(2)(b) of the Family Law Act.

  • REVOKED - Family Law Practice Direction: Lighthouse Project and Evatt List

    This Practice Direction was revoked 28 November 2022.

  • Expert witnesses in family law

    This fact sheet provides information about the different types of experts that provide evidence in family law matters before the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia (the Court). 

  • Family violence information sheet

    This information sheet contains important information for litigants who have experienced, or are alleged to have perpetrated, family violence. This information is not a substitute for legal advice.

  • Indigenous Family Liaison Officers

    This fact sheet provides information about the role of Indigenous Family Liaison Officers (IFLOs) in the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia (the Courts).

  • Pre-Action Procedures: What to do before you file your Family Law application

    This checklist takes you through the steps or Pre-Action Procedures you need to complete before you do so. These steps will ask you to try and resolve issues with your partner using Dispute Resolution, if it is safe to do so.

  • Financial or property: Family pets

    Even though parties may consider a family pet to be a member of the family, the Family Law Act 1975 (Family Law Act) considers pets to be property. The term used for a family pet in the Family Law Act is a companion animal.

  • Schools and family law orders

    When making family law orders, the Courts are often required to determine school-related issues such as which parent will collect the child/ren from school on certain days or which school the child/ren will attend. The Courts acknowledge that litigation about these issues can be stressful for families and children, and that the implementation of court orders has the potential to create challenges for schools (including kindergartens and childcare providers) and schools need to address…
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