New Family Law Amendments to Decide Who Keeps the Family Pet

Who would have thought – The Federal Government discussed your family pet last week in Parliament.

A further amendment to the Family Law Act has been introduced by the Albanese Government last week, and interestingly, it includes family pets. The proposed amendment would see the Family Law Court consider pets as “companion animals” and grant the Court the power to make Orders on who keeps the pet, or if it is to be sold.

It is not a new concept that a family pet plays a role in a property settlement, but to date, they have been treated as property. If the amendment comes into effect, pets will be considered as a unique type of property with special considerations given to the ownership of the animal. The Court will be bound to take into consideration the extent to which any party has cared for the animal, any history of cruelty towards the animal, any history of family violence during the relationship, and the relationships of a party of a child to the pet.

Should you have any questions about what this means for you, do not hesitate to reach out to our office.