Family Law:Nature of Flashcards
PF: through contemporary examples,
students investigate the nature of family relationships and the effectiveness of the law in achieving justice
The role of the law in
encouraging cooperation with resolving conflict in regar to family
issues of
compliance and non-compliance
changes to family law
as a response to changing values in the community
the role of law reform
in achieving just outcomes for family members and society
the effectiveness of legal and non legal responses
in achieving just outcomes for family members
explains the role of law in
encouraging and resolving conflict, as well as initiating and responding to change
the family law system is designed to encourage compliance, through
family dispute resolutions, compulsory conciliation for separating couples and making parenting plans. All of these measures are designed to enable the parties involved to come to a decision that best suits their needs without the court’s involvement.
The family law system reflects the rule of law in our society in that it aims to be
child focused, thus placing emphasis on reconciliation and compliance rather than exercising control through sanctions.
Family law is designed to provide
legal protections for family members and is extremely important in society and its ability to function, as every individual comes from and is influenced by their family. . Furthermore families constitute the fundamental units of society and provide support for children and spouses both socially and financially thus, the family law plays an extremely important role in attempting to resolve conflict so the wellbeing of individual’s is not severely impacted by issues/problems that can arise in family relationships, as this can have negative implications for broader society.
Overtime the concept of family has significantly altered and the family law has had to
respond to these changes in a way that maintains its focus on encouraging and resolving conflict.
definition of family
by ABS: ‘two or more persons… who are related by blood, marriage (registered or defacto), , adoption, step or fostering and who are usually resident in the same household.’
Types of families
- Nuclear (husband, wife +children)
- Blended( married/defacto couples w. children from previous relationships)
- Couples w/o children
- Defacto (w/ w/o children, not married)
- Extended (other relatives in same house)
- Single parent
- ATSI customary law marriages
- Same Sex (w/ w/o children)
Discuss the difficulty of defining family and the changing concepts of family
The concept of family, once largely considered as only nuclear, has evolved with Australian society. They now also can include of blended, de facto, single parent, same sex, extended and ATSI customary marriages. Even the Family Law Act 1975 (Cth) does not offer a definition, only describing family as ‘the natural and fundamental group unit of society, particularly while it is responsible for the care and education of dependent children.’
Definition of marriage (which is a legally binding contract and a legal institution)
the union o f
5 Legal requirements of marriage
- Gender
- Marriageable age (18 or if btw 16 and 18 and court grants permission or need parental consent)
- Parental Consent (if under 18)
- Prohibited degrees of relationship (can’t be related by blood or other marriage)
- Notice of marriage to NSW REigstery of Births, Deaths and Marriages
- Valid marriage ceremony
- Consent
- 2 witnesses
Under what section of the Constitution does it detail the Cth’s powers to make laws regarding marriage?
S.51 states the Cth has power and authority to make laws concerning marriage and divorce
Marriage Act
1961 (Cth)
Marriage Act 1961 (Cth)
considered conformity with the Hyde v Hyde and Woodmansee case (1866, UK), defining marriage as the ‘voluntary union for life of one man and one woman, to the exclusion of all others.’
Marriage Amendment Act 2004 (Cth)
provided a formal definition of marriage in legislation:
‘voluntary union for life of one man and one woman, to the exclusion of all others, voluntarily entered into for life.’ ruling out possibility of same-sex marriage through its specificity as well as making any same-sex marriages entered into in other jurisdictions invalid
Where are the majority of alternative family relationships dealt with
by the state, not federal legislation and this can disadvantage parties
ATSI customary marriages
don’t conform to Hydge v Hyde and Woodmansee (1866) definition or Marriage Amendment Act 2004 (Cth)
- —> often arranged by elders
- —> polygamy still practiced
- —>entered into and bound by customary law
- —>not recognised as marriage under Australian law, only as defacto as they aren’t married according to rules of Marriage Act 1961 and the marriages normally aren’t legally recorded with Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages
Before which act did a lack of legal status for ATSI customary marriages mean that parties of those relationships didn’t enjoy the same rights and responsibilities as married people with regard to property settlement?
The Family law Amendment (De Facto Financial Matters and Other Measures) Act 2008 (Cth)