Family Law Act 1975

Family Law Act 1975
Parliament of Australia
  • An Act relating to Marriage and to Divorce and Matrimonial Causes and, in relation thereto and otherwise, Parental Responsibility for Children, and to financial matters arising out of the breakdown of de facto relationships and to certain other Matters ~ (amended); An Act relating to Marriage and to Divorce and Matrimonial Causes and, in relation thereto, Parental Rights and the Custody and Guardianship of Infants, and certain other Matters. ~ (original)
CitationNo. 53, 1975 as amended or No. 53 of 1975
Territorial extentStates and territories of Australia
Enacted byAustralian House of Representatives
Royal assent12 June 1975
Commenced5 January 1976
Legislative history
Bill titleFamily Law Bill 1975
Introduced bySenator Lionel Murphy
Second reading29 October 1974
Status: Current legislation

The Family Law Act 1975 (Cth) is an Act of the Parliament of Australia. It has 15 parts and is the primary piece of legislation dealing with divorce, parenting arrangements between separated parents (whether married or not), property separation, and financial maintenance involving children or divorced or separated de facto partners: in Australia. It also covers family violence. It came into effect on 5 January 1976, repealing the Matrimonial Causes Act 1961, which had been largely based on fault.[1] On the first day of its enactment, 200 applications for divorce were filed in the Melbourne registry office of the Family Court of Australia, and 80 were filed in Adelaide, while only 32 were filed in Sydney.[2]

  1. ^ "New divorce laws to start today— No-Fault Ground", Sydney Morning Herald, January 5, 1976, p. 2
  2. ^ "New divorce law offices besieged by callers", by Jill Sykes, Sydney Morning Herald, January 6, 1976, p. 2