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FAMILY LAW ACT 1975 - SECT 110

Overseas enforcement of maintenance orders etc.

  (1)   In this section:

"jurisdiction with restricted reciprocity" means a country, or part of a country, outside Australia declared by the regulations to be a jurisdiction with restricted reciprocity for the purposes of this section.

"maintenance order" means:

  (a)   an order or determination (however described) with respect to the maintenance of a party to a marriage; or

  (b)   an order or determination (however described) with respect to the maintenance of a child who has not attained the age of 18 years, other than an order or determination of the kind referred to in paragraph   (c); or

  (c)   an order or determination (however described) with respect to the maintenance of a child who has not attained the age of 18 years, if:

  (i)   the order or determination is expressed to continue in force until a day that is later than, or for a period that extends beyond, the day on which the child will attain that age; and

  (ii)   the provision of maintenance for the child is necessary to enable the child to complete a course of study, vocational training or an apprenticeship or to continue his or her education in any other way, or because the child is a child with disability; or

  (d)   an order or determination (however described) with respect to the maintenance of a child who has attained the age of 18 years, if:

  (i)   the order or determination is expressed to continue in force until a day, or for a period, specified in the order or determination; and

  (ii)   the provision of maintenance for the child is necessary to enable the child to complete a course of study, vocational training or an apprenticeship or to continue his or her education in any other way, or because the child is a child with disability; or

  (e)   to the extent provided by the regulations, an order made under section   67D, or an order or determination (however described) that deals with matters of a kind in relation to which orders may be made under that section.

"reciprocating jurisdiction" means a country, or part of a country, outside Australia declared by the regulations to be a reciprocating jurisdiction for the purposes of this section.

  (2)   The regulations may make provision for and in relation to:

  (a)   the registration in, and enforcement by, courts having jurisdiction under this Act of maintenance orders made by courts or authorities of reciprocating jurisdictions or of jurisdictions with restricted reciprocity;

  (aa)   the institution and prosecution, by an officer of a court having jurisdiction under this Act, a prescribed authority of the Commonwealth, of a State or Territory, or of another country or a part of another country, or a person for the time being holding a prescribed office under a law of the Commonwealth, of a State or Territory, or of another country or a part of another country, in his, her or its discretion, of proceedings:

  (i)   on behalf of the person entitled to moneys payable under a maintenance order made by a court or authority of a reciprocating jurisdiction or of a jurisdiction with restricted reciprocity, for the enforcement by a court having jurisdiction under this Act of that maintenance order; or

  (ii)   for the making of orders for the confirmation of provisional orders made by courts of reciprocating jurisdictions or of jurisdictions with restricted reciprocity, being provisional orders referred to in paragraph   (d);

  (ab)   the institution and prosecution, by an authority entitled to moneys payable under a maintenance order, in the authority's discretion, of proceedings for the enforcement of that maintenance order by a court having jurisdiction under this Act;

  (b)   the transmission to appropriate courts or authorities of reciprocating jurisdictions or of jurisdictions with restricted reciprocity of maintenance orders made by courts having jurisdiction under this Act for the purpose of securing the enforcement of those orders in those jurisdictions;

  (ba)   the making of provisional maintenance orders, and the transmission of such orders to appropriate courts of reciprocating jurisdictions or jurisdictions with restricted reciprocity, for the purposes of obtaining the confirmation, and securing the enforcement, of those orders in those jurisdictions, and the effect in Australia of those orders;

  (c)   the making of orders (including provisional orders) for the variation, discharge, suspension or revival of maintenance orders registered in accordance with regulations under this section or of maintenance orders or provisional maintenance orders transmitted to other jurisdictions in accordance with regulations under this section, and the effect in Australia of orders under this paragraph;

  (d)   the making of orders for the confirmation of provisional orders made by courts in reciprocating jurisdictions or in jurisdictions with restricted reciprocity, being provisional maintenance orders or provisional orders varying, discharging, suspending or reviving maintenance orders, and the effect in Australia of orders under this paragraph; and

  (e)   the making of orders for giving effect to process certified or approved by a court in the United States of America, being process relating to the provision of maintenance, and the effect in Australia of orders under this paragraph.

  (3)   The regulations may make different provision under this section in relation to reciprocating jurisdictions from the provision made in relation to jurisdictions with restricted reciprocity.


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