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Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia (Family Law) Rules 2021

In force

Administered by

Attorney-General's Department

This item is authorised by the following title:

Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia Act 2021

Latest version

View as made version

F2025C00594 C04

10 June 2025

Table of contents

Chapter 1—Purpose and case management
- Part 1.1—Preliminary
- Part 1.2—Case management
- Part 1.3—Court’s powers in relation to the Rules
Chapter 2—Starting a proceeding
- Part 2.1—Required documents
  - 2.01 Which application form must be filed
- Part 2.2—Notification in certain proceedings
  - Division 2.2.1—Child abuse, family violence or other risks of harm to children
  - Division 2.2.2—Notification of other matters
- Part 2.3—Form of documents
- Part 2.4—Responding to an application
- Part 2.5—Filing documents
  - 2.23 How documents may be filed
  - 2.24 Rejection of documents
- Part 2.6—Serving documents—general
- Part 2.7—Serving documents overseas
  - 2.48 Serving documents in New Zealand
  - 2.49 Serving documents in all other countries
- Part 2.8—Amending documents
Chapter 3—Parties and representation
- Part 3.1—Necessary parties
  - 3.01 Necessary parties
  - 3.02 Necessary parties to applications for parenting orders
- Part 3.2—Adding and removing a party
- Part 3.3—Legal representation
- Part 3.4—Independent children’s lawyer
  - 3.11 Independent children’s lawyer
- Part 3.5—Litigation guardians
- Part 3.6—Death or bankruptcy of a party
  - Division 3.6.1—Death of party
    - 3.19 Death of party
  - Division 3.6.2—Bankruptcy or insolvency of party
Chapter 4—Dispute resolution
- Part 4.1—Requirements before applying for orders
- Part 4.2—Offers to settle a proceeding
  - Division 4.2.1—General
  - Division 4.2.2—Offers in financial or property proceedings
    - 4.11 Compulsory offer to settle
    - 4.12 Withdrawal of offer
Chapter 5—Interlocutory orders
- Part 5.1—General
- Part 5.2—Applications without notice
  - 5.11 Applications without notice
  - 5.12 Necessary procedural orders
- Part 5.3—Hearing on papers in absence of parties without oral hearing
- Part 5.4—Applications in relation to property
- Part 5.5—Applications for suppression or non-publication orders
  - 5.27 Application for suppression or non-publication order
- Part 5.6—Consent orders
  - 5.28 Application for order by consent
  - 5.29 Consent parenting orders and allegations of child abuse, family violence or other risks of harm to children
Chapter 6—Disclosure and subpoenas
- Part 6.1—Duty of disclosure
  - Division 6.1.1—General duty of disclosure
  - Division 6.1.2—Duty of disclosure in specific types of proceedings
    - 6.05 Duty of disclosure—parenting proceedings
    - 6.06 Duty of disclosure—financial or property proceedings
- Part 6.2—Disclosure procedures
- Part 6.3—Specific questions
- Part 6.4—Disclosure from employer
  - 6.25 Disclosure of employment information in proceedings for financial or property orders
- Part 6.5—Subpoenas and notices to produce
Chapter 7—Experts and assessors
- Part 7.1—Experts
- Part 7.2—Assessors
Chapter 8—Admissions and evidence
- Part 8.1—Admissions
- Part 8.2—Evidence
  - Division 8.2.1—General rules about evidence
  - Division 8.2.2—Evidence in proceedings involving children
- Part 8.3—Affidavits
Chapter 9—Transferring proceedings
- Part 9.1—Change of venue
  - 9.01 Change of venue
- Part 9.2—Transfer from Federal Circuit and Family Court (Division 1) to Federal Circuit and Family Court (Division 2)
  - 9.02 Transfer to Federal Circuit and Family Court (Division 2)
  - 9.03 Proceeding transferred to Federal Circuit and Family Court (Division 2)—transfer of documents
- Part 9.3—Other transfers between courts exercising family law jurisdiction
- Part 9.4—Removal of proceedings from court of summary jurisdiction
  - 9.07 Removal of proceedings from court of summary jurisdiction
  - 9.08 Proceeding removed from court of summary jurisdiction—transfer of file
- Part 9.5—Transfers to or from a State court: cross-vesting
Chapter 10—Finalising a proceeding
- Part 10.1—Discontinuing a proceeding
- Part 10.2—Consent orders
- Part 10.3—Summary orders and separate decisions
- Part 10.4—Judgment
- Part 10.5—Summary disposal
- Part 10.6—Default
Chapter 11—Enforcement of court orders and judgments
- Part 11.1—Enforcement of financial or property orders and obligations
- Part 11.2—Contravention of orders and contempt
Chapter 12—Costs
- Part 12.1—Introduction
  - 12.01 Application of Chapter 12
- Part 12.2—Security for costs
- Part 12.3—Costs disclosure obligations
- Part 12.4—Management of legal costs
  - Division 12.4.1—Costs principles
    - 12.08 Legal costs to be fair, reasonable and proportionate
  - Division 12.4.2—Maximum costs orders
- Part 12.5—Orders for costs
- Part 12.6—Calculation of costs
- Part 12.7—Specific costs matters
- Part 12.8—Claiming and disputing costs
  - Division 12.8.1—Itemised costs account
  - Division 12.8.2—Assessment process
- Part 12.9—Review of assessment
Chapter 13—Appeals
- Part 13.1—Introduction
  - 13.01 Application of Chapter 13
- Part 13.2—Starting an appeal
- Part 13.3—Appeals to Full Court or single Judge
- Part 13.5—Appeal from court of summary jurisdiction other than a Family Law Magistrate of Western Australia
  - 13.29 Application of Part 13.5
  - 13.30 Fixing of hearing date
- Part 13.6—Powers of appeal courts and conduct of appeal
- Part 13.7—Applications in relation to appeals
  - Division 13.7.1—How to make an application
  - Division 13.7.2—Specific applications relating to appeals
    - 13.39 Further evidence on appeal
    - 13.40 Review of Appeal Judicial Registrar’s order
- Part 13.8—Concluding an appeal, an application for leave to appeal or any other application in relation to an appeal
- Part 13.9—Case stated
- Part 13.10—Costs orders
  - 13.53 Filing of costs schedule in certain appeals
  - 13.54 Order for costs
Chapter 14—Registrars and delegated powers
- Part 14.1—Introduction
  - 14.01 Definitions for Chapter 14
- Part 14.2—Delegation of powers to Senior Judicial Registrars and Judicial Registrars
  - 14.02 Application of Part 14.2
  - 14.03 Delegation of powers to Senior Judicial Registrars and Judicial Registrars
- Part 14.3—Review of exercise of power by Senior Judicial Registrar or Judicial Registrar
Chapter 15—General
- Part 15.1—Seal
- Part 15.2—Time
- Part 15.3—Registration of documents
- Part 15.4—Custody of documents
- Part 15.5—Attendance
- Part 15.6—Additional matters
Schedule 1—Pre-action procedures
- Part 1—Financial or property proceedings
- Part 2—Parenting proceedings
Schedule 2—Conduct money and witness fees
- Part 1—Conduct money
- Part 2—Witness fees
Schedule 3—Scale of costs in family law and child support matters
- Part 1A—Application of this Schedule
  - 1 Application of this Schedule
- Part 1—Costs allowable for lawyer’s work done and services performed
- Part 2—Costs allowable for counsel’s work done and services performed
- Part 3—Basic composite amount for undefended divorce
- Part 4—Basic composite amount for request for Enforcement Warrant or Third Party Debt Notice
Schedule 4—Delegated powers
- 1 Definitions
- 2 Delegations to Senior Judicial Registrars and Judicial Registrars
Endnotes
- Endnote 1—About the endnotes
- Endnote 2—Abbreviation key
- Endnote 3—Legislation history
- Endnote 4—Amendment history
- Endnote 5—Editorial changes