What are the family law changes from 10 June 2025?
Family breakdown is never easy. For parents navigating separation, the uncertainty is often compounded by questions about what the law requires. From 10 June 2025, new rules under the Family Law Act have come into force. These reforms are designed to simplify decision-making, reduce conflict, and make the court process more focused on the best interests of children. But what do these changes mean in practice? Sometimes the best way to explain them is through a real life example.
Imagine a separating couple who have two children under the age of 10. They cannot agree on where the children should live during the school week, or how holidays should be shared. In addition, they own a home together, and one party wants to keep the house while the other argues for it to be sold. Under the old system, the legal jargon and complex principles often made the process drawn out and combative. But with the reforms now in effect, the question many people are asking is: What are the family law changes from 10 June 2025?
What are the new changes to the Family Law Act?
The headline change is the way courts determine parenting arrangements. Previously, there was a presumption that equal shared parental responsibility was the starting point. This often led to confusion, with parents mistakenly thinking it meant equal time. The new rules remove that presumption and instead require the court to focus squarely on the best interests of the child. Judges now weigh up a shorter, clearer list of considerations, including safety, the needs of the child, and the capacity of each parent to meet those needs.
In our example, this means the court is not tied to old formulas or presumptions. Instead, the judge looks directly at the children’s welfare. If one child has a strong routine at their current school, or if there are concerns about safety in one parent’s household, those factors carry more weight. The aim is to avoid technical arguments and keep the focus on the children themselves.
How do the family law changes from 10 June 2025 affect divorce?
For couples formally ending their marriage, divorce itself has not become harder or easier. The grounds for divorce remain the same: irretrievable breakdown after 12 months of separation. But the new laws affect what happens around divorce — particularly when children are involved. The parenting arrangements that flow from a divorce are now shaped by this simplified framework.
In practical terms, a parent filing for divorce no longer has to grapple with confusing legal terminology about shared responsibility. Instead, the focus is on providing the court with evidence about the children’s needs and each parent’s ability to meet them. In our scenario, the separating couple can expect less time spent on outdated presumptions and more attention on what day-to-day life will look like for the children.
How do the family law changes from 10 June 2025 affect property?
In our example, where one partner wants to retain the family home, the court will still weigh contributions, future needs, and fairness. But because disclosure rules are stricter, there is less room for gamesmanship. This makes it harder to hide bank accounts, misrepresent income, or sidestep obligations. The result is a settlement process that is more transparent and efficient.
So, what are the family law changes from 10 June 2025? At their heart, they are about clarity and child-focused outcomes. By removing outdated presumptions, simplifying parenting considerations, and strengthening financial disclosure, the reforms are designed to make family law less confusing and less adversarial.
For families in the middle of separation, these changes will not remove the pain of the process. But they may reduce some of the unnecessary conflict and delay that have long been a hallmark of family disputes. For anyone facing divorce, parenting disputes, or property settlement after June 2025, the message is clear: the law has changed, and the focus is firmly on fairness, safety and the best interests of children.
