Legislation and decisions
Family Court Acts, Legislation, Decisions, Family Courts Rules - what do these terms mean and do you really need to know about them? Well, you don't need to be an expert on these things, but it can be helpful to understand some basics about the laws that are in place to protect you and your family, and the processes you need to follow.
Family Court Acts
The Family Court deals with proceedings under various Acts (legislation) relating to families. This link will take you to a list of these Acts and brief explanations of what each piece of legislation is concerned with. You can also access the Government legislation site from here, which has full details on each Act.
Family Courts Rules
The Family Courts Rules set out the process and procedures for everything that happens in the Family Court. Things like what forms to use for proceedings under various family law Acts, what documents must be filed, issuing witness summonses and much, much more...
Decisions
Ever wondered what a court decision 'looks like'? Copies of previous Family Court decisions can be accessed via this link. Reading these will make you more aware of the sort of things a Judge considers in relation to a family matter. For example, if you are considering adopting a child, reading an example of a Court decision on an adoption application may be of value to you.
New and Proposed Legislation
Keep up to date with changes to legislation affecting the Family Court. This link will take you to recently passed legislation and explain the way this new legislation will change the way the Family Court operates. You can also find information about proposed changes to legislation on this page.
Restrictions of publication of Family Court judgments
Reports of proceedings in the Family Court must comply with sections 11B to 11D of the Family Courts Act 1980. These sections state that any person may publish a report of proceedings in the Family Court without leave of the court unless that report contains identifying information about a person under 18 years or a vulnerable person. You can find more information about what these terms mean and how they apply to your case on this page.
