On 10 June 2025, the Family Law Act in Australia will be amended to include particular provisions for your feather and fur babies.
From that date, pets (or companion animals in the formal language) will be treated as property.
In the past there may have been some scope for separated families to make arrangements to spend time with pets across more than one household. Going forward the Court will have power to make orders for one party to the separation to have sole ownership of a companion animal, or to make arrangements a companion animal to be sold. The Court cannot make Orders for shared ownership or shared care of family pets.
When having to make those types of orders, the Court must consider the weight of evidence about a range of important issues including any history with respect to the safety of the companion animal, any attachment by a party or child to the companion animal and the ability of the either party to care for the companion animal in the future. The above information does not constitute independent legal advice. For further information, please contact Nicole Dawson at our office to discuss further
