Separating families will have an easier time navigating the legal system after changes simplifying the family law system passed federal parliament.
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The new laws, which went through parliament on Thursday, will also make custody arrangements safer for children with their best interests being upheld.
The changes will see the presumption of "equal shared parental responsibility" being removed.
In 2017, a bipartisan parliamentary committee found that the provisions were confusing, failed to prioritise the safety of children and were being improperly applied in a way that put children at risk.
Independent children's lawyers will also be required to meet directly with children during the legal process, while greater powers will be put in place to protect children from the effects of drawn out cases in the court system.
Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus said the updated laws were consistent with the recommendations of family law experts.
"These reforms are long overdue and will improve the lives of Australian families," he said.
"In the nine years the former government was in office, there were more than two dozen reviews into the family law system, with hundreds of recommendations that were simply ignored."
The laws will update the definition of family members in the Family Law Act to be inclusive of broader Indigenous concepts of family.
Courts will have access to more information of family safety risks in order for the safety of children to be prioritised.
New orders will allow for courts to get information from police or other agencies about family violence risks.
"The government's legislation will see more family law matters resolved quickly, safely and inexpensively without compromising the safety of family members," Mr Dreyfus said.
A second tranche of changes of the family law system has been released for consultation as part of an exposure draft.
Australian Associated Press
