Josh Gordon
Federal Politics
The Age – Sunday 19 October 2008

People separating from de facto relationships - including same sex partners - will be treated the same way by the court system as legally
married couples getting divorced, under new laws to be finalised in Parliament this week.

The historic legislation means that de facto couples will have access to the federal family law courts to solve property disputes and
maintenance issues.

Only divorcing couples now have access to family courts for property, maintenance and custody disputes. People in de facto relationships
have to juggle disputes across different jurisdictions, with custody issues settled in the federal family courts and property and other issues settled by state and territory courts.

Attorney-General Robert McClelland said the reforms, which will pass through the House of Representatives this week, were long overdue.

"They will end current arrangements which place a huge administrative and financial burden on separating de facto couples." Mr McClelland said.

"Consistent with the Government's policy, the legislation will not discriminate between opposite-sex and same-sex de facto couples.
Nothing in the legislation will alter marriage laws."

In 2006 there were 1,193,400 people in de facto relationships aged 15 years and over.

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