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Family Law

Co-ordinator: Dr Adiva Sifris

This cluster covers research connected to 'families' in the broadest sense. Our family law cluster members are currently investigating various aspects of parenting arrangements available pursuant to the Commonwealth Family Law Act.  The cluster is also part of a multi-disciplinary Research Consortium exploring the ramifications of the newly created social service system for separating parents and their clients.

This cluster incorporates:

  • Child support and maintenance
  • Children in immigration detention
  • 'Customary adoption' in New Zealand, Australia and Canada
  • Different family violence legislation at federal and state levels
  • Emerging Family Forms
  • Formal and informal residence arrangements for children of separated families in Australia, in the light of the Family Law Amendment (Shared Parental Responsibility) Act 2006
  • Indigenous family law and the way that the mainstream legal systems of colonial countries have accommodated indigenous family structures and law
  • Legal ethics in family legal practice
  • Lesbian parenting
  • Parenting orders, variation of orders and best interests of the child
  • Processes of family law dispute resolution
  • Property and children aspect of domestic relationships
  • Sex workers and family law
  • Spousal maintenance
  • The effect of new "equal time" provisions in the Family Law Act
  • The relevance of child abuse in family law proceedings, including how child abuse will be treated under new Act
  • The relevance of gender in family law decision making (especially for women)
  • The role and practices of the legal profession in family law disputes
  • The role of Family Relationship Centres
  • The 'shadow' of family law

 Current and recent research projects:

  • All you need to know about Victoria's relationships register
  • Relationship breakdown: all you need to know about relationship agreements, property and maintenance
  • The impact of Victoria's fertility treatment legislation on lesbian parents, and lesbians contemplating becoming parents
  • Where will the children live?  Arrangements for separated familites in Australia