Preview

The Role Of Divorce In Australia

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
802 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
The Role Of Divorce In Australia
Society places laws upon different family arrangements to ensure that members of all families have legal protection. Marriage is the union of man and women to become husband and wife. However, when a couple undergoes divorce, in order for each individual to achieve justice, there are various laws that come into place. The laws regarding dissolution are: Family Law Act 1975 (Cth) and Property (Relationships) Act 1984 (NSW).

The Family Law Act 1975 (Cwlth) is a statute that governs divorce law. Under this act there is only one ground for divorce and this is to prove that there has been an irretrievable breakdown of marriage, which means that the marriage has broken down to such an extent that it cannot be put back together. Divorce breaks
…show more content…
According to the Property (Relationships) Act 1984 (NSW), when deciding on how to divide the property after the end of a marriage, the court will consider four things: the financial contribution of each party, the non-financial contribution of each party, the future needs and obligations of each party and whether or not there is a pre-nuptial agreement. Under the Property (Relationships) Act, the court should divide the property in a way that is just and equitable, based on the partners contributions to the property, both financial and non-financial, and their contributions as homemaker and parent to the welfare of the family. For example in the Theodoropoulos v Theodosiou (1996) case one party got a greater share of the property based on their need for it in the …show more content…
Both parents separately have responsibility for their children. The best interests of the child are of dominant consideration. When deciding what is in the best interest of the child the court will consider the following: the wishes of the child, whether the order made is likely to lead to further dispute, the effect of the separation on the child, the nature of the relationship between the child and the parents and the need to protect the child. The court may order that a child’s interests be separately represented by an independent children’s lawyer. The lawyer’s duties include putting the child’s views before the court and minimising as far as possible the trauma of the

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Satisfactory Essays

    Relationship breakdowns include the separation and divorce of de facto and married couples. Parties involved with relationship breakdowns include the two parties separating as well as any children that resulted from the relationship. Although de facto relationships are not legally binding unlike marriages, the Australian legal system still has means to govern over disputes that arise over separation. The Family Law Act 1975 (Cth) (FLA) is the main body of legislation that oversees matters relating to disputes arising from relationship breakdowns particularly property and methods of resolving disputes. Other issues that emerge from relationship breakdowns may also relate to wills and property.…

    • 1148 Words
    • 33 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Critically assess the view that an increase in the divorce rate in 1980’s was due to changes in the law. (* - 25 minutes)…

    • 463 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    One of the key legal acts that has defined the term marriage, relationships, divorce and…

    • 964 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In the 19th Century divorce was extremely difficult to obtain, more so for women. Eventually in 1923 grounds were equalised for men and women, but this was followed by a sharp rise in the number of divorce petitions from women. Again in 1972, the grounds widened to ‘irretrievable breakdown’ which made divorce easier to obtain and produced a doubling of the divorce rate overnight. The introduction of legal aid for divorce cases in 1949 lowered the cost of divorce. With each change in the law divorce rates have risen. The new right are against the introduction of new laws which make marriage easier as it breaks up the idea of a traditional family which they support. It lead to a trend in single parent households.…

    • 990 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Prior to 1975, divorce was an arduous process that required one of 14 grounds to be met. Society’s pleas for a more just divorce process were fairly met by the revolutionary legislation the Family Law Act 1975 (Cth), which introduced ‘no fault’ divorce – making the sole ground for divorce the ‘irretrievable breakdown of the marriage’. This act also ensures that nonfinancial contributions to a marriage are considered on the dissolution of the marriage, effectively achieving greater justice for women. However, many criticise this legislation for rendering divorce too easy, with 1/3 marriages ending in divorce…

    • 1241 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    As of 1st March 2009, broken down de facto relationships (including same sex) can apply – through the Family Court – for property settlement under the Family Law Amendment (De facto Matters and Other Measures) Act 2008. Broken down de facto relationships may apply if they are unable to come to an agreement about how their assets should be divided. The same principles are therefore applied by the Family Court as if they were a married couple. They must make a claim within two years after the date that the relationship broke down.…

    • 1519 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Furthermore, another law that has affected family diversity is the Divorce Law Reform Act 1969. The divorce raw reform act made it easier for couples to get a divorce as this law states that couples can claim an ‘’irretrievable breakdown’’ of their marriage and be granted a divorce, rather than having to prove that their partner had deserted them, been cruel to them or been unfaithful. As a result the divorce rate shot up consequently affecting family type by decreasing the number of nuclear families and…

    • 425 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Marriage is a legal institution, and individuals who intend to marry must take into consideration the legal consequences of this union. Individuals need to understand the legal responsibilities if a separation occurs such as relationship breakdowns and divorce. Divorce is the legal termination of a marriage. Under the Family Law Act 1975 (Cth) the only grounds for divorce is the breakdown of the marriage. However prior to this, married couples who wanted to divorce had to apply under the Matrimonial cause Act 1959 Cth on the grounds of ‘fault’ such as…

    • 1123 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    The Children Act 1989 states that in matters concerning the upbringing of a child "the child 's welfare shall be the court 's paramount consideration".…

    • 2386 Words
    • 10 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Fault-Based Divorce

    • 462 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Divorce laws govern the dissolution of a marriage. Every country has its own laws regarding divorce and, in fact, they can vary from state to state or province to province within a nation. Knowing your jurisdiction's laws can keep a bad situation from becoming worse, and save you future turmoil.…

    • 462 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    With the very nature and fluidity of Family Law, many attempts at definitive meanings are met with a high degree of confusion even by the most learned minds. Family law is an area of the law that deals with family-related issues and domestic relations. This can includes the establishment of family and domestic relationships, the rules for creating a union, right up to their termination or dissolution, and the subsequent issues related to this, such as alimony, child support, property division, custody etc. When the bliss of a marriage turns cold, there are many couples out there, or even individuals who believe that their marriage is beyond help therefore…

    • 1454 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    About a year or so ago, my parents sat my brother and I down looking really solemn. At first I thought that my cat had been killed by a coyote or something (I’m slightly paranoid about my cat). Then I realized that I hadn’t seen my dog yet and normally he comes to greet us when we get home from school. He had been having some problems recently with odd possible cancer lumps and limping. I thought that he had been put down or something. Neither one happened. Then I remembered that my parents were always fighting, and that my dad and I would constantly fight too. This was it. Dad was moving out. Dad started speaking first. He said that he was moving out. My brother burst into tears. I merely sat there. I expected this. I had been expecting this…

    • 1609 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    American Divorce Culture

    • 1294 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Divorce has become the norm within the American Culture of this era and research suggests that it cannot be avoided. In the story of “The Making of a Divorce Culture” author Barbara Dafoe Whitehead, claims how divorce rates have drastically increased and has changed the view of the American family. In today’s society marriages are ending in divorce because couples find the easy way out, and choose not to work on their marriage, which can eventually affect their children’s lives.…

    • 1294 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Better Essays

    Although divorce has always been a part of American culture, it has skyrocketed in the last few decades, reaching an all time high of 50% of all marriages ending in separation. Our culture has changed its view on divorce throughout the years and now accepts divorce in society. In the past, divorce was forbidden. People did not discuss the issue as openly as we do today. In the past, divorce was never shown in the media and was looked down on. Today’s culture has shaped divorce into a more positive decision and has made it relatively easy to file for a separation. With all the hype about marriage and living the American dream, I often wonder what has influenced such an increase in the divorce rate over the last…

    • 1139 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Whatever else marriage may be, the state regards it as a public contract that only the state can dissolve. The laws that govern that dissolution in the United States, however, are not only widely conflicting and confusing—all 50 states have their own laws —but are based on notions that are out of touch with the changing realities of modern society. Most of them tend to embitter spouses, neglect the welfare of the children, prevent reconciliation and produce a large measure of hypocrisy, double-dealing and perjury. Looking at the welter of divorce laws in the United States, David R. Mace, executive director of the American Association of Marriage Counselors, can only call it "an absolutely ghastly, dreadful, deplorably messy situation."(s) Across the United States, judges, lawyers and marriage experts are raising an urgent cry that it is time to reform and humanize the divorce…

    • 2659 Words
    • 11 Pages
    Powerful Essays

Related Topics