Section 13A — Family Law Act 1975 (Cth)

(1) The objects of this Part are:

(a) to facilitate access to family counselling:

(i) to help married couples considering separation or divorce to reconcile; and

(ii) to help people adjust to separation or divorce; and

(iii) to help people adjust to court orders under this Act; and

(b) to encourage people to use dispute resolution mechanisms (other than judicial ones) to resolve matters in which a court order might otherwise be made under this Act, provided the mechanisms are appropriate in the circumstances and proper procedures are followed; and

(ba) to give the court the power to require parties to proceedings under this Act to make use of children’s contact services provided by CCS businesses; and

(c) to encourage people to use, in appropriate circumstances, arbitration to resolve matters in which a court order might otherwise be made, and to provide ways of facilitating that use; and

(d) to give the court the power to require parties to proceedings under this Act to make use of court or non‑court based family services appropriate to the needs of the parties.

(2) The object mentioned in paragraph (1)(b) also lies behind the general requirement in section 60I for family dispute resolution services to be used before applications for orders under Part VII are made.

Related sections

• s 12E — Obligations on legal practitioners
• s 12F — Obligations on principal executive officers of courts
• s 12G — Obligations on family counsellors, family dispute resolution practitioners and arbitrators
• s 13B — Court to accommodate possible reconciliations
• s 13C — Court may refer parties to family counselling, family dispute resolution and other family services
• s 13D — Consequences of failure to comply with order under section 13C

Research how courts apply s 13A

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