What the June 2025 Family Law Changes Mean for Property Settlements on the Gold Coast

Separation is messy enough without the law changing underneath you. But that’s kind of what happened in June 2025 — and if you’re in the middle of sorting out property right now, or you’re about to start, it’s worth knowing what’s actually different.

Not the legal version. The actual version.

A bit of background first

The Family Law Amendment Act 2024 got through Parliament on 10 December 2024. Most of the changes — the ones that affect how property gets divided — came into effect on 10 June 2025. There were a few earlier ones too; some tweaks to the superannuation splitting rules started on 11 December 2024, which tends to get overlooked in most summaries.

The bit that catches people off guard: this isn’t just a court thing. A lot of people read “law changes” and think, well, I’m not going to court so it doesn’t apply to me. That’s not how it works. The Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia has been pretty explicit — these rules apply whether you’re negotiating directly with your ex, going through a mediator, or standing in front of a judge. If property is on the table, you’re in scope.

So what actually changed?

The biggest shift is that the process courts use to divide property is now written into the legislation itself. Before June 2025, judges were following an approach developed through decades of case law — it worked, but it wasn’t as clearly defined in the Act. Now it is. Four steps, in order, every time.

First — everything goes on the table. Every asset, every debt. The house, super, cars, investment accounts, shares, crypto, business interests, whatever’s in the shed. Debts come out of the pool too, not just assets. This part doesn’t leave a lot of wiggle room.

Second — who contributed what. And this is broader than people expect. It’s not just who earned the money. Unpaid contributions count — raising kids, managing the household, supporting a partner through study or a career change. That work has always been recognised in family law, but the legislation now spells it out more explicitly.

Third — what does each person actually need going forward. Age, health, earning capacity. Who’s going to be the primary carer for the kids. Whether someone took a decade out of the workforce and now has a gap in their career that affects what they can earn. These are real factors that shift the outcome.

Fourth — is the result actually fair. Not equal. Fair. There’s a difference, and the law has always understood that. An equal split can be deeply unfair depending on the circumstances. The court has to be satisfied the outcome is just and equitable before it makes any orders.

Courts were broadly doing this already. The change is that it’s now in the Act — which means it’s more consistent across different judges and harder for anyone to argue around.

The family violence piece — this one’s significant

Honestly, this is the change that matters most for a lot of people, and it gets the least airtime.

From 10 June 2025, the economic impact of family violence has to be factored into property settlements where it’s relevant. And the law now formally recognises economic and financial abuse as a form of family violence — controlling the household finances, blocking someone from working, using money as a tool of control. It’s in the legislation now, not just acknowledged in passing.

What that looks like practically: if someone was stopped from working during the relationship, their financial contributions to the property pool are going to look smaller. Under the old approach, that could disadvantage them. Under the new framework, the court can consider why those contributions were smaller — and that changes the calculation.

Same thing applies to future needs. If someone’s coming out of a relationship with ongoing counselling costs, or their ability to earn has been damaged by years of financial control, those costs get weighed.

Worth being clear about what the courts still can’t do here — they can’t sentence anyone for family violence (that’s criminal law, handled by state courts), and they can’t award compensation for harm. What they can do is make sure the economic reality of what happened gets reflected in how assets are divided.

Yes, the pets thing is real

It feels almost absurd to include this alongside everything else, but it comes up constantly and it’s now actually in the legislation, so.

If you and your ex can’t agree on who keeps the animals, a court can make an order. Under the new companion animal provisions, the court has to consider things like any history of animal abuse — which can be a form of family violence — and how attached each person (or any kids) is to the pet.

What the court can’t do is order shared arrangements. No alternating weeks, no joint ownership. One person ends up with the pet. That’s it.

Financial disclosure — now in the Act, not just the rules

The duty to disclose your full financial situation to the other party has always existed. What changed is that it’s now sitting in the Family Law Act 1975 itself rather than just in the court rules. Same duty, higher status.

And it’s ongoing. You can’t disclose everything at the start and then go quiet. If your financial situation changes while you’re resolving a property matter, you have to update the other side.

Consequences for not doing this are pretty serious — courts can factor non-disclosure directly into the property orders, hit you with costs, or in bad cases, treat it as contempt of court. Fine or imprisonment. The range of consequences is wide and none of them are good.

Practical advice: pull your documents together early. Bank statements going back a few years, super statements, tax returns, business financials if that’s relevant. It’s not fun, but having a clear picture early saves a lot of pain later — whether you’re negotiating or heading to court.

Already have orders? Already in court?

If you’ve got existing property orders, nothing changes. Keep following them.

If you’re already in proceedings — filed before June 2025 — the new rules apply to your matter unless a final hearing has already started. That last bit matters. If you’re mid-proceedings but haven’t hit a final hearing yet, you’re under the new framework. Some people have been caught out by this, so if there’s any doubt, get advice on it specifically.

Common questions

De facto couples — does this apply to us? Yes. The Family Law Act covers de facto couples, including same-sex couples, not just married ones. All of this applies.

We separated before June 2025 but haven’t sorted property yet. Which rules? Almost certainly the new ones — unless your final hearing had already started before 10 June 2025. Worth checking.

How long do we have? Married couples have 12 months from when the divorce is finalised. De facto couples generally have 2 years from the date of separation. After that, you need the court’s permission to file — and that’s not a given.

Can we just sort it out ourselves? Yes, and most people do. But an informal agreement — even a written one — isn’t legally enforceable. If you reach a deal, formalise it through Consent Orders or a Binding Financial Agreement. Otherwise it’s not worth much if things go sideways later.

What counts as property? Everything. Family home, investment properties, bank accounts, superannuation, shares, business interests, vehicles, crypto. And debts — those come out of the pool too.

What about child support? Child support is separate to property settlement. Services Australia handles it — you can reach them on 131 272.

One last thing

Nobody should be trying to navigate this alone, especially when the rules have just shifted. If you’re on the Gold Coast and you want to understand what these changes actually mean for your specific situation — not in theory, but for you — getting proper advice from an experienced Gold Coast family lawyer early is genuinely worth it.

Not to start a fight. Just to know where you stand.

General information only — not legal advice. Family law outcomes depend on the specific facts of each matter. Get independent advice for your situation.