Family Law Act 1975

The objects of this Part are:

to facilitate access to family counselling:

to help married couples considering separation or divorce to reconcile; and

to help people adjust to separation or divorce; and

to help people adjust to court orders under this Act; and

to encourage people to use dispute resolution mechanisms (other than judicial ones) to resolve matters in which a court order might otherwise be made under this Act, provided the mechanisms are appropriate in the circumstances and proper procedures are followed; and

to give the court the power to require parties to proceedings under this Act to make use of children’s contact services provided by CCS businesses; and

to encourage people to use, in appropriate circumstances, arbitration to resolve matters in which a court order might otherwise be made, and to provide ways of facilitating that use; and

to give the court the power to require parties to proceedings under this Act to make use of court or non‑court based family services appropriate to the needs of the parties.

The object mentioned in paragraph (1)(b) also lies behind the general requirement in section 60I for family dispute resolution services to be used before applications for orders under Part VII are made.