Where Will the Children Live? Arrangements for Separated Families in Australia

Abstract

Family law policy considerations should not regard informal post-separation living arrangements as a panacea – the evidence from this research indicates that fluidity of movement and satisfaction in living arrangements is very individualistic amongst the children of separated families and does not necessarily rely on whether the arrangements were made informally between the parents or were court-ordered. The success or otherwise of post-separation living arrangements depend strongly on the ages and stages of the children subject to them.

Keywords: family law, children, separation, living arrangements, court-ordered, informal, Amendment Act

JEL Classification: K00, K10, K19, K30, K39