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Family Law Act 1996

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The term provision is used to describe a definable element in a piece of legislation that has legislative effect – such as a Part, Chapter or section. A version of a provision is prospective either:

  1. where the provision (Part, Chapter or section) has never come into force or;
  2. where the text of the provision is subject to change, but no date has yet been appointed by the appropriate person or body for those changes to come into force.

Commencement Orders listed in the ‘Changes to Legislation’ box as not yet applied may bring this prospective version into force.

Changes to legislation:

Family Law Act 1996, Part II is up to date with all changes known to be in force on or before 19 April 2024. There are changes that may be brought into force at a future date. Changes that have been made appear in the content and are referenced with annotations. Help about Changes to Legislation

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Changes to Legislation

Revised legislation carried on this site may not be fully up to date. Changes and effects are recorded by our editorial team in lists which can be found in the ‘Changes to Legislation’ area. Where those effects have yet to be applied to the text of the legislation by the editorial team they are also listed alongside the legislation in the affected provisions. Use the ‘more’ link to open the changes and effects relevant to the provision you are viewing.

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Changes and effects yet to be applied to the whole Act associated Parts and Chapters:

Whole provisions yet to be inserted into this Act (including any effects on those provisions):

Part IIU.K. Divorce and Separation

Prospective

Court ordersE+W

F12 Divorce and separation.E+W

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Textual Amendments

F1Pt. II repealed (except for s. 22) (13.5.2014) by Children and Families Act 2014 (c. 6), ss. 18(1), 139(4)

F13 Circumstances in which orders are made.E+W

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Textual Amendments

F1Pt. II repealed (except for s. 22) (13.5.2014) by Children and Families Act 2014 (c. 6), ss. 18(1), 139(4)

F14 Conversion of separation order into divorce order.E+W

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Textual Amendments

F1Pt. II repealed (except for s. 22) (13.5.2014) by Children and Families Act 2014 (c. 6), ss. 18(1), 139(4)

Prospective

Marital breakdownE+W

F15 Marital breakdown.E+W

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Textual Amendments

F1Pt. II repealed (except for s. 22) (13.5.2014) by Children and Families Act 2014 (c. 6), ss. 18(1), 139(4)

F16 Statement of marital breakdown.E+W

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Textual Amendments

F1Pt. II repealed (except for s. 22) (13.5.2014) by Children and Families Act 2014 (c. 6), ss. 18(1), 139(4)

Reflection and considerationE+W

Prospective

F17 Period for reflection and consideration.E+W

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Textual Amendments

F1Pt. II repealed (except for s. 22) (13.5.2014) by Children and Families Act 2014 (c. 6), ss. 18(1), 139(4)

Prospective

F18 Attendance at information meetings.E+W

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Textual Amendments

F1Pt. II repealed (except for s. 22) (13.5.2014) by Children and Families Act 2014 (c. 6), ss. 18(1), 139(4)

F19 Arrangements for the future.E+W

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Textual Amendments

F1Pt. II repealed (except for s. 22) (13.5.2014) by Children and Families Act 2014 (c. 6), ss. 18(1), 139(4)

Prospective

Orders preventing divorceE+W

F110 Hardship: orders preventing divorce.E+W

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Textual Amendments

F1Pt. II repealed (except for s. 22) (13.5.2014) by Children and Families Act 2014 (c. 6), ss. 18(1), 139(4)

Prospective

Welfare of childrenE+W

F111 Welfare of children.E+W

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Textual Amendments

F1Pt. II repealed (except for s. 22) (13.5.2014) by Children and Families Act 2014 (c. 6), ss. 18(1), 139(4)

Prospective

SupplementaryE+W

F112Rules about procedureE+W

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Textual Amendments

F1Pt. II repealed (except for s. 22) (13.5.2014) by Children and Families Act 2014 (c. 6), ss. 18(1), 139(4)

Prospective

Resolution of disputesE+W

F113 Directions with respect to mediation.E+W

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Textual Amendments

F1Pt. II repealed (except for s. 22) (13.5.2014) by Children and Families Act 2014 (c. 6), ss. 18(1), 139(4)

F114 Adjournments.E+W

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Textual Amendments

F1Pt. II repealed (except for s. 22) (13.5.2014) by Children and Families Act 2014 (c. 6), ss. 18(1), 139(4)

Prospective

Financial provisionE+W

F115 Financial arrangements.E+W

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Textual Amendments

F1Pt. II repealed (except for s. 22) (13.5.2014) by Children and Families Act 2014 (c. 6), ss. 18(1), 139(4)

F216. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .E+W

Textual Amendments

F2S. 16 repealed (1.12.2000) by 1999 c. 30, s. 88, Sch. 13 Pt. II; S.I. 2000/1116, art. 2(g)

F317. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .E+W+S

Textual Amendments

F118 Grounds for financial provision orders in magistrates’ courts.E+W

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Textual Amendments

F1Pt. II repealed (except for s. 22) (13.5.2014) by Children and Families Act 2014 (c. 6), ss. 18(1), 139(4)

Prospective

Jurisdiction and commencement of proceedingsE+W

F119 Jurisdiction in relation to divorce and separation.E+W

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Textual Amendments

F1Pt. II repealed (except for s. 22) (13.5.2014) by Children and Families Act 2014 (c. 6), ss. 18(1), 139(4)

F120 Time when proceedings for divorce or separation begin.E+W

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Textual Amendments

F1Pt. II repealed (except for s. 22) (13.5.2014) by Children and Families Act 2014 (c. 6), ss. 18(1), 139(4)

Prospective

IntestacyE+W

F121 Intestacy: effect of separation.E+W

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Textual Amendments

F1Pt. II repealed (except for s. 22) (13.5.2014) by Children and Families Act 2014 (c. 6), ss. 18(1), 139(4)

Marriage support servicesE+W

22 Funding for marriage support services.E+W

(1)The [F4Secretary of State] may, with the approval of the Treasury, make grants in connection with—

(a)the provision of marriage support services;

(b)research into the causes of marital breakdown;

(c)research into ways of preventing marital breakdown.

(2)Any grant under this section may be made subject to such conditions as the [F4Secretary of State] considers appropriate.

(3)In exercising his power to make grants in connection with the provision of marriage support services, the [F4Secretary of State] is to have regard, in particular, to the desirability of services of that kind being available when they are first needed.

Textual Amendments

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

Prospective

F123 Provision of marriage counselling.E+W

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Textual Amendments

F1Pt. II repealed (except for s. 22) (13.5.2014) by Children and Families Act 2014 (c. 6), ss. 18(1), 139(4)

Prospective

InterpretationE+W

F124 Interpretation of Part II etc.E+W

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Textual Amendments

F1Pt. II repealed (except for s. 22) (13.5.2014) by Children and Families Act 2014 (c. 6), ss. 18(1), 139(4)

F125 Connected proceedings.E+W

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Textual Amendments

F1Pt. II repealed (except for s. 22) (13.5.2014) by Children and Families Act 2014 (c. 6), ss. 18(1), 139(4)

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