Family law

A de-facto relationship is a relationship in which two people are co-habiting without being legally married and must be heterosexual to be recognised by the courts. This type of relationship increased greatly from 1971 to 1082 as people were not economically and physically willing to enter into a marriage. In 1984, a statutory basis was given to de-facto relationships with the passing of the De Facto Relationships Act 1984 NSW. This act provided a legal definition of De Facto relationships, eligibility criteria and protection of individuals on the breakdown of such a relationship. The issues dealt with by the Act include property rights, maintenance, care of children and inheritance. Property rights include: Under common law, a person in a de facto relationship has no right to property unless it was in that person’s name. Maintenance: there was no legal obligation to pay spousal maintenance. Even if one of the partners did not have a job and was looking after a child full time. Up un...