Course coordinator
Please contact via email if you have any enquiries relating to the course.
This course is an intermediate level consideration and examination of, and reflection upon, the legal issues, legislation, case law, theory, practice, social context and key features of what is commonly known as "family law" in Australia. The course seeks to develop students' knowledge of the law relating to the breakdown of interpersonal relationships; awareness of the application of the relevant principles set out in the Family Law Act (and other related legislation including the Domestic and Family Violence Act) in both a legal and wider social context; and ability to identify and critically consider legal issues in the midst of complex inter-personal issues.
Family Law is a complex and broad jurisdiction and this course aims to provide a comprehensiveᅠoverview of the relevant issues covered by theᅠFamily Law Actᅠ1975ᅠ(Cth) and relevant state laws.
The course primarily deals with the laws relating to marriage and de facto relationships and particularly the consequences of relationship breakdown (nullity; divorce; arrangements for children; child support; child maintenance; property settlement; maintenance) andᅠtheᅠmeans of resolving inter-personal disputes (mediation, arbitration, litigation).
Family law is a highly interdisciplinary course, dealing inter alia withᅠissues of psychology, social work and economics.ᅠThe courseᅠconsiders the application of the law to the changing face of families and examines impact of parental conflict on children.
In this course, you will acquire the foundational skills and knowledge to prepare you for a career in family law practice. You are encouraged to prepare for, and participate in, tutorials. The tutorials have been designed to assist you with preparation for the exam.
Students are encouraged not to take this course until they comply with the prerequisite requirements.ᅠStudents in the early years of their degree mayᅠlack theᅠbackground legalᅠknowledge necessaryᅠto maximise their understanding of the subject matter of this course.
You'll need to complete the following courses before enrolling in this one:
(LAWS1700 + 1701 + 1702 + 2706 + 2707) or (LAWS2111 + 2112 + 3112)
We recommend completing the following courses before enrolling in this one:
LAWS2709 or (2704 + 2705) or (LAWS3113 + 3114)
You can't enrol in this course if you've already completed the following:
LAWS7121
LLB(Hons)(#64), LLB(Hons)(#48), LLB (Graduate Entry), LLB(Hons) duals and LLB dual programs.
Please contact via email if you have any enquiries relating to the course.
The timetable for this course is available on the UQ Public Timetable.
Teaching Mission Statement
The mission of the TC Beirne School of Law is to educate students in and about the law. We seek to assist you to think critically about the law and to investigate its structures, principles, policies, and values. This is achieved by engaging with you as fellow investigators in a range of critical and intellectual conversations about the law and its place in society. Our role is thus to guide you in your own intellectual journey in the law and to equip you with the necessary skills that will enable you to continue that journey long after you have left the School.
Course Aims
The course aimsᅠto:
After successfully completing this course you should be able to:
LO1.
Demonstrate a sound knowledge of both the law relating to the breakdown of marriages and de facto relationships and of the means for resolving disputes in relation to children, property division and maintenance.
LO2.
Demonstrate knowledge of the legal institutions relevant to the practise of family law in Australia.
LO3.
Demonstrate advanced written skills in the resolution of problems that arise in the context of family law.
LO4.
Recognise the relationship between family law matters and those of other jurisdictions and areas of legal practice.
LO5.
Critically analyse facts and provide solutions to theoretical and practical questions arising from the study of family law.
LO6.
Situate family law within a broader social science context, recognising the influence of other disciplines (including psychology, gender and race studies and economics) on the theory and practice of family law.
Category | Assessment task | Weight | Due date |
---|---|---|---|
Paper/ Report/ Annotation |
Research Assignment
|
40% |
6/09/2024 2:00 pm |
Examination |
End-of-Semester Exam
|
60% |
End of Semester Exam Period 2/11/2024 - 16/11/2024 |
6/09/2024 2:00 pm
The research assignment is compulsory and counts for 40% of your total course assessment. The topic will be released in week 1. The word count is 2000 (excluding references, footnotes and bibliography). Footnotes must contain references only – any substantial content combined with footnotes will be disregarded and penalties will apply. Words in excess of the word count will not be taken into consideration in awarding a mark. A complete bibliography must be included, but as noted above will not count towards the word limit.
Further details will be available on the subject Blackboard site.
Results for the assignment will be available prior to the final exam.
This assessment task evaluates student’s abilities, skills and knowledge without the aid of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Students are advised that the use of AI technologies to develop responses is strictly prohibited and may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Assignments must be submitted electronically via the submission link on the course Blackboard site.
You may be able to apply for an extension.
The maximum extension allowed is 7 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.
Extension to Assessment Due Date
An extension for an assessment item due within the teaching period in which the course is offered will generally be limited to one week in the first instance. In exceptional circumstances, approved extensions may be granted for more than one week but will not exceed four weeks in total. Where a student is incapacitated for a period exceeding four weeks of the teaching period, they should be advised to apply for removal of course.
A student may apply for an extension to assessment due date if they are unable to meet an assessment deadline due to extenuating circumstances. Please refer to the Applying for an extension page on my.UQ for further details on acceptable reasons for an extension and for instructions on how to apply. Additional information on extensions can be found within the Assessment Procedure.
Spoken or written notification of difficulties with assessment deadlines to a course coordinator or the School does not constitute an authorised extension.
Applications to be submitted before the due date: Applications for extension (whether they be medical or exceptional circumstances) shall be made by the due date and time for the assessment. Requests for extensions received after the assessment item submission due date and time, must include evidence of the reason for the late request, and will require the decision maker listed in the Student Grievance Resolution Procedure to accept the request for consideration.
A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.
Penalties for Late Submission
The following penalties apply to late submission of an assessment item, assuming that an extension has not been approved, and that late submission is academically possible (e.g., it does not delay feedback to a cohort, or interfere with course delivery).
First 7 periods of 24 hours (or part thereof) - 10% per 24 hours of the maximum possible mark for the assessment item. For example, a report worth a maximum of 40 marks, submitted 28 hours late will attract a penalty of 8 marks, calculated as 2 periods of 24 hours x 10% x 40 marks.
More than 7 periods of 24 hours - 100%.
End of Semester Exam Period
2/11/2024 - 16/11/2024
The end-of-semester exam is specific materials permitted - Students are allowed to take in with them 3 single-sided A4 pages of notes, any size font - must be printed or handwritten.
The exam will be worth 60% of the final mark.
The material covered in the end-of-semester exam will be the entire course content. There will be one question only.
This assessment task is to be completed in-person. The use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools will not be permitted. Any attempted use of AI may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Planning time | 10 minutes |
---|---|
Duration | 120 minutes |
Calculator options | No calculators permitted |
Open/closed book | Closed Book examination - specified written materials permitted |
Materials | Three single-sided A4 pages of notes, any size font - must be printed or handwritten. |
Exam platform | Paper based |
Invigilation | Invigilated in person |
You may be able to defer this exam.
Full criteria for each grade is available in the Assessment Procedure.
Grade | Cut off Percent | Description |
---|---|---|
1 (Low Fail) | 0 - 19 |
Absence of evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. |
2 (Fail) | 20 - 47 |
Minimal evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. |
3 (Marginal Fail) | 48 - 49 |
Demonstrated evidence of developing achievement of course learning outcomes |
4 (Pass) | 50 - 64 |
Demonstrated evidence of functional achievement of course learning outcomes. |
5 (Credit) | 65 - 74 |
Demonstrated evidence of proficient achievement of course learning outcomes. |
6 (Distinction) | 75 - 84 |
Demonstrated evidence of advanced achievement of course learning outcomes. |
7 (High Distinction) | 85 - 100 |
Demonstrated evidence of exceptional achievement of course learning outcomes. |
Supplementary assessment is available for this course.
You'll need the following resources to successfully complete the course. We've indicated below if you need a personal copy of the reading materials or your own item.
Find the required and recommended resources for this course on the UQ Library website.
Last minute changes may be made to readings at short notice.
Other sources of learning material will be notified by the course coordinator.
The learning activities for this course are outlined below. Learn more about the learning outcomes that apply to this course.
Filter activity type by
Learning period | Activity type | Topic |
---|---|---|
Multiple weeks From Week 2 To Week 13 |
Lecture |
Lectures The programme of lectures for the course is set our in the course learning guide. This is available from the course Blackboard site. Lecture Topics are:
Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L06 |
Multiple weeks From Week 8 To Week 13 |
Tutorial |
Tutorials The tutorial topics are available from the course Blackboard site. Tutorial topics:
Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L06 |
University policies and procedures apply to all aspects of student life. As a UQ student, you must comply with University-wide and program-specific requirements, including the:
Learn more about UQ policies on my.UQ and the Policy and Procedure Library.
Your school has additional guidelines you'll need to follow for this course: