Monday, March 22, 2010 (363 reads)
The Family Law Amendment (De Facto Financial Matters and Other Measures) Act 2008 brought all de facto couples including same sex couples under the umbrella of Commonwealth laws relating to spousal maintenance and property settlements (including superannuation splitting).The Act gives a Court exercising jurisdiction under the Act power to deal with property and maintenance matters after the breakdown of a defacto relationship.Previously it was necessary for defacto parties to take any dispute regarding property to the State courts and there was no jurisdiction even in the State courts with respect to spousal maintenance or with respect to splitting of superannuation.