Domestic Relationships Act 1994
- Number
- A1994-28
- Status
- In Force
- Current law
- Regulations & instruments
- Point-in-time versions
- Law history
Current version
Notes
- Proposed amendments by Justice and Community Safety Legislation Amendment Bill 2025 (No 3).
| Effective | Files/Formats | Version | Published | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 November 2025 | HTMLPDFWord | R16 | 16 November 2025 | Republication for amendments by A2025-29 |
Administering Minister and Directorate
- Minister for Human Rights - Justice and Community Safety Directorate
Legislative instruments
Legislative instruments under the Act and its subordinate laws
| Name | Status | Classifier | Type | Under | Effective | Year and No |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Domestic Relationships Commencement Notice 1994(Repealed) | Repealed | Commencement notices | s 2 | 11 July 1994 - 12 July 1994 | CN1994-11 | |
| Domestic Relationships Regulation 2012 | None | Subordinate laws | s 41 | 11 September 2012 | SL2012-38 |
Point-in-time versions
| Effective | Files/Formats | Version | Published | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 November 2025 | HTMLPDFWord | R16 | 16 November 2025 | Republication for amendments by A2025-29 |
| 27 April 2016 - 15 November 2025 | HTMLPDFWord | R15 | 27 April 2016 | Republication for amendments by A2016-18 |
| 25 November 2013 - 26 April 2016 | HTMLPDFWord | R14 (RI) | 24 February 2014 | Reissued because of High Court decision in relation to A2013-39 |
| Never effective | HTMLPDFWord | R14 | 25 November 2013 | Republication for amendments by A2013-44 Never effective because of High Court decision in relation to A2013-39 (see reissued republication) |
| 7 November 2013 - 24 November 2013 | HTMLPDFWord | R13 (RI) | 24 February 2014 | Reissued because of High Court decision in relation to A2013-39 |
| Never effective | HTMLPDFWord | R13 | 7 November 2013 | Republication for amendments by A2013-39 Never effective because of High Court decision in relation to A2013-39 (see reissued republication) |
| 11 September 2012 - 6 November 2013 | HTMLPDFWord | R12 | 11 September 2012 | Republication for amendments by A2012-40 |
| 17 December 2009 - 10 September 2012 | HTMLPDFWord | R11 | 17 December 2009 | Republication for amendments by A2009-49 |
| 19 May 2008 - 16 December 2009 | HTMLPDFWord | R10* | 19 May 2008 | Republication for amendments by A2008-14 |
| 12 April 2007 - 18 May 2008 | HTMLPDFWord | R9 | 12 April 2007 | Republication for amendments by A2007-3 |
| 1 October 2005 - 11 April 2007 | HTMLPDFWord | R8 | 1 October 2005 | Republication for amendments by A2005-43 |
| 10 January 2005 - 30 September 2005 | HTMLPDFWord | R7 | 10 January 2005 | Republication for amendments by A2004-60 |
| 14 July 2004 - 9 January 2005 | HTMLPDFWord | R6 | 14 July 2004 | Republication for commenced expiry |
| 13 July 2004 - 13 July 2004 | HTMLPDFWord | R5 | 13 July 2004 | Republication for amendments by A2004-32 |
| 22 March 2004 - 12 July 2004 | HTMLPDFWord | R4 | 22 March 2004 | Republication for amendments by A2004-1 |
| 28 March 2003 - 21 March 2004 | HTMLPDFWord | R3 | 28 March 2003 | Republication for amendments by A2003-14 |
| 12 September 2001 - 27 March 2003 | HTMLPDFWord | R2 (RI) | 16 October 2002 | Republication for amendments by A2001-44 R2* reissued due to endnote correction |
| 1 June 1998 - 11 September 2001 | HTMLPDFWord | R1 | 4 November 2024 | Republication for amendments by A1997-96 |
| 11 July 1994 | HTMLPDFWord | As notified | 31 May 1994 |
Bill and Explanatory statement
The bill and explanatory statement for this Act are accessed from Domestic Relationships Bill 1994.
Notification statement
The Domestic Relationships Act 1994 was passed by the Legislative Assembly and was notified in the Gazette on 31 May 1994 (Gaz 1994 No S93).
(Parliamentary Counsel)
Act as notified
| Date notified | Effective | Files/Formats | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 31 May 1994 | 11 July 1994 | HTMLPDFWord |
Commencement
| Provision | Commencement date | Commencement method |
|---|---|---|
| s 1, s 2 | 31 May 1994 | s 2 (1) |
| remainder | 11 July 1994 | s 2 (2) and Gaz 1994 No S149 |
Expiries
| Provision | Expiry date | Expiry method |
|---|---|---|
| s 33 (3)-(5) | 13 July 2004 (midnight) | s 33 (5) |
Amendments
For section-by-section amendment annotations, see the amendment history in the endnotes in the current version of this law.
| Year and number | Amending law | Amending provision | Commencement date |
|---|---|---|---|
| A2016-18 | Red Tape Reduction Legislation Amendment Act 2016 | sch 3 pt 3.19 | 27 April 2016 |
| A2013-44 | Statute Law Amendment Act 2013 (No 2) | sch 3 pt 3.5 | 25 November 2013 |
| A2013-39 | Marriage Equality (Same Sex) Act 2013 | sch 2 pt 2.10 | 7 November 2013 |
| A2012-40 | Civil Unions Act 2012 | sch 3 pt 3.10 | 11 September 2012 |
| A2009-49 | Statute Law Amendment Act 2009 (No 2) | sch 3 pt 3.21 | 17 December 2009 |
| A2008-14 | Civil Partnerships Act 2008 | sch 1 pt 1.9 | 19 May 2008 |
| A2007-3 | Statute Law Amendment Act 2007 | sch 3 pt 3.30 | 12 April 2007 |
| A2006-22 | Civil Unions Act 2006 | sch 1 pt 1.10 | never commenced |
| A2005-43 | Justice and Community Safety Legislation Amendment Act 2005 (No 3) | sch 1 pt 1.6 | 1 October 2005 |
| A2004-60 | Court Procedures (Consequential Amendments) Act 2004 | sch 1 pt 1.23 | 10 January 2005 |
| A2004-32 | Justice and Community Safety Legislation Amendment Act 2004 (No 2) | pt 10 | 13 July 2004 |
| A2004-1 | Parentage Act 2004 | sch 1 pt 1.6 | 22 March 2004 |
| A2003-14 | Legislation (Gay, Lesbian and Transgender) Amendment Act 2003 | sch 1 pt 1.13 | 28 March 2003 |
| A2001-44 | Legislation (Consequential Amendments) Act 2001 | pt 108 | 12 September 2001 |
| A1997-96 | Legal Practitioners (Consequential Amendments) Act 1997 | sch 1 | 1 June 1998 |
| A2025-29 | Statute Law Amendment Act 2025 | sch 3 pt 3.32, sch 4 pt 4.60 | 16 November 2025 |