Families and Marriage Publications

Document outlining the obligations and consequences of marriage and stating the availability of marriage education and counselling [Tagalog version]

Document outlining the obligations and consequences of marriage and stating the availability of marriage education and counselling [Vietnamese version]

How the Attorney-General’s Department will collect, store, use and disclose your personal information when you apply for the return of your child under the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction (the Hague Convention).

Published in 2014, this guide is to help Supporting Children after Separation Program (SCaSP) service providers provide seamless, appropriately differentiated service system for children and their parents.  

This report provides advice to the Attorney-General on a range of issues in relation to who is considered to be a parent under the Family Law Act 1975. The council considered the changes in family structures and the differing ways families are now being formed, the role and meaning of 'parent', as well as the inconsistent, inappropriate and discriminatory outcomes for children on the basis of the status of the people who are raising them or the way in which the child's family was formed.

The council is an agency subject to the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (FOI Act) and is required to comply with the requirements of the FOI Act relating to the Information Publication Scheme (IPS). The council has prepared its IPS Agency Plan in accordance with subsection 8(1) of the FOI Act.

Family Relationship Centres and the Family Relationship Advice Line are front doors to services that can assist families at all stages of their relationships. The following guidelines are provided to assist with development of the best possible referral practices. 

Use this form if you are named in a Hague Convention child abduction case, and you decide to oppose the application and do not want the child to return to their home country.

If you believe your child has been wrongfully removed from Australia or wrongfully retained overseas in a Hague Convention country without your consent, you can apply for the return of your child.

Use this form if you are seeking access to a child in a country that is a member of the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction.

Use this form if you have received a Hague Convention child access application, and you do not want the person to have access to the child, or want to propose different access.

The council provided a letter of advice to the former Attorney-General in response to an Attorney-General’s Department discussion paper.

This letter of advice includes Council’s comments of fifteen recommendations made in an options paper prepared by the Attorney-General’s Department.

In response to terms of reference issued by the former Attorney-General, the council considered ways in which the family law system can better meet the needs of Indigenous clients.  As part of the consultation process, the council sought submissions from interested organisations and individuals about services and engagement programs for families of Indigenous communities.

In response to terms of reference issued by the former Attorney-General, the council considered ways in which the family law system can better meet the needs of culturally and linguistically diverse clients. As part of the consultation process, the council sought submissions from interested organisations and individuals about services and engagement programs for families of culturally and linguistically diverse communities.

The council supported the Senate Standing Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs’ report recommending an education campaign.

On 5 August 2011 the council provided a further letter of advice in response to a request by the former Attorney-General and the former Minister for Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs. The letter of advice was on the issue of child support in cases of international parental child abduction.

An own motion letter of advice was provided to the former Attorney-General expressing concerns about the possible effect of a ruling regarding the application of section 10H and 10J of the Family Law Act 1975 to family dispute resolution intake assessments.

A letter of advice was provided on 14 March 2011 in relation to international parental child abduction in response to terms of reference issued by the former Attorney-General.

The council provided the former Attorney-General with a letter of advice on the former Australian Government’s policy initiative to enhance family dispute resolution.