Lectures are scheduled throughout the semester on Tuesday and Wednesday at 9.10am in Ligertwood 333 - Law Lecture Theatre 2.

Weekly seminars are conducted and the course planner should be consulted to ascertain the specific times.

On successful completion of this course students will:

1. Have a good understanding of the main provisions of the Family Law Act;
2. Be familiar with the structure of and sources of information within the family law administrative and court system;
3. Understand the primary principles and policies that influence the development of family law;
4. Be able to analyse fact scenarios to identify the relevant family law issues;
5. Be able to critically analyse family law legislation and cases;
6. Be able to locate, analyse, evaluate and synthesise materials so as to undertake advanced legal research;
7. Understand the special ethical issues and responsibilities that arise in the practise of family law.

1. Anthony Dickey, Family Law (6th ed, Thomson Reuters 2014) [available as either a printed text or an ebook].
2. Lecture outlines, reading lists, and supplementary materials will be available either by purchase in hard copy from the Image and Copying Centre or available on MyUni
3. Australian Family Law Act 1975
   The Family Law Act 1975 is available on-line (www.comlaw.gov.au), however, it’s a voluminous Act and will be referred to throughout the course and students may find it more convenient if they have a bound printed copy of it. The latest consolidated version is published by CCH (32nd ed, 2013) and will be available for purchase from the Unibooks and other bookshops. Copies of the FLA can also be purchased from the Service SA Government Legislation Outlet, EDS Centre, North Terrace, Adelaide (opposite the Adelaide Convention Centre) (tel: 13 23 24).

1. M Livermore, The Family Law Handbook (2nd ed, RLCP 2010)
2. T Altobelli, & I Serisier, Practising Family Law (3rd ed, LexisNexis 2011)

MyUni will be used to post announcements, post additional lecture materials (including slides, and where available, audio recordings of lectures) and announce assignment tasks. It will also contain electronic copies of the Course Profile, Lecture and Seminar Guides, and Course Materials.

Students are expected to check MyUni regularly to keep up to date with these materials and additional learning resources throughout the course.

https://myuni.adelaide.edu.au/webapps/login/

The information below is provided as a guide to assist students in engaging appropriately with the course requirements.

Contact time: attend 2 hours lectures plus 1 hour seminar each week. This amounts to 36 hours of formal class time across the semester.

Preparation time: In addition to attending formal classes it is anticipated that students will do substantial independent work to prepare for classes and to complete the course assignments. The University expects full time students (those undertaking 12 units per semester) to devote a total of 48 hours per week to their studies.

	Lecture	Tutorial
Week 1	Introduction	Family Court of Australia Study Tours
Week 2	Historical Development	Family Court of Australia Study Tours
Week 3	Marriage	Family Court of Australia Study Tours
Week 4	De Facto Relationships	Family Court of Australia Study Tours
Week 5	Nullity	Ethics in Family Law
Week 6	Divorce	De Facto Relationships
Week 7	Determining Parentage	Divorce
Week 8	Children Under the FLA	Children Under the FLA
Week 9	Children Under the FLA	Binding Financial Agreements
Week 10	Introduction to Matrimonial Property	Preliminary Property Issues
Week 11	Distribution of Matrimonial Property	Distribution of Matrimonial Property
Week 12	Matrimonial Property Ancilliary Issues	Examination Revision

There are no additional requirements for completion of this course other than those described elsewhere in this document.

Assessment Item	% of final mark	Due date	Length	Group or individual assessment	Redeemable	Learning Outcomes
Research Paper	30% (optional & redeemable by examination)	Topics available Week 1 Due: 2pm, Tues 22nd April	1500 words maximum	Individual	Yes	1- 10
Examination	70-100%	Exam Period 21st June – 5th July	2 hours duration (+ 10 minutes reading time)	Individual	No	1-10

The research essay is optional and redeemable by the examination.

An optional essay weighted at 30% of the final course mark and is fully redeemable by the final examination. Details of the essay topics will be posted on MyUni during the 1st week of the semester. The essays will be assessed based on the quality and comprehensiveness of research; the quality of demonstrated understanding of the relevant principles and concepts; the construction of a concise and coherent presentation; a well balanced presentation of the relevant issues; and the development of a critical and evaluative perspective

DUE DATE: Tuesday, 22nd April at 2.00pm

The examination will consist of three questions only two of which must be answered and all are of equal weighting. Two of the questions will be problem style and the third will be essay style. The essay question will have an internal option of a choice of three essay topics only one of which may be answered. The exam will be of 2 hours duration (+ 10 minutes reading time).

Students may take into the examination any written materials excluding items borrowed from a University Library and may also take in electronic language dictionaries with no remote capabilities.

It is each student's responsibility to read the examination timetable. Misreading the timetable is not accepted as grounds for granting a supplementary exam. University staff are not permitted to provide examination times to students over the telephone or in response to personal enquiries.

Students must retain a copy of all assignments submitted.

All assignments in this course are to be submitted in hard copy. All hardcopy submissions must be accompanied by the Assignment Cover Sheet that sets out the word length, and contains a signed declaration that the assignment consists of the students own work. A student’s results will be withheld until such time as the student has signed the Assignment Cover Sheet. Markers can refuse to accept assignments which do not have a signed acknowledgement of the University’s policy on plagiarism.

All written work in the Law school is required to comply with the approved Law School style guide, The Australian Guide to Legal Citation.

Extensions: Requests for extensions must be made electronically and submitted to the Course Coordinator according to law school policy. Extensions will be granted only for unexpected illness, hardship or on compassionate grounds in accordance with University Policy. Work commitments, travel, holidays or sporting engagements are not unexpected circumstances.

Penalties: 

1. Late Submission: Submission penalties of 5% (of the total mark of the assignment) each day (or part thereof) will be deducted for late submission (including weekends and public holidays), (ie, an essay graded 63% will have 5 % deducted if it is one day late, for a final mark of 58%, 10% if it is two days, etc).
2. Word Length: Assignments which exceed the allocated length (word length or page limit) will be subject to a penalty of 5% of total marks available per 100 words or part thereof (ie with a word limit of 1500, an essay graded 63% will have 5% deducted if it is 1501 words long, for a final grade of 58%, 10% if it is 1601 words long, etc). Words are calculated excluding all referencing footnotes and headings within the text and excluding cover page information.

Turnaround time: The research paper will be returned to students within 4 weeks of the submission date with written individual feedback. Students will be notified by email when assignments are ready for collection from the Law School Front Office.

Courses for which a result of conceded pass has been obtained may not be presented towards the degree requirements for the Bachelor of Laws or the Honours Degree of Bachelor of Laws programs, or any postgraduate law program, nor to satisfy prerequisite requirements within any law course.

The University Writing Centre provides academic learning and language development services and resources for local, international, undergraduate and postgraduate coursework students enrolled at the University of Adelaide.

Practical advice and strategies for students to master reading, writing, note-taking, time management, oral presentation skills, referencing techniques and exam preparation for success at university through seminars, workshops and individual consultations.

For more information please check out the Writing Centre website at http://www.adelaide.edu.au/writingcentre/

Further information regarding the Law School Policies and Procedures in relation to Supplementary Assessment, Extensions, and Remarks etc can be found at:

https://unified.adelaide.edu.au/group/law-school/policies-and-procedures

Plagiarism and other forms of cheating

Plagiarism is a serious act of academic misconduct. All students must be familiar with the Adelaide Law School Enrolment Guide 2014, and should note in particular the sections relating to plagiarism, grievance procedures and academic conduct within the Law School and the University.

Plagiarism is a serious matter and is treated as such by the Law School and the University. Please be aware that “academic dishonesty” (which goes beyond plagiarism) can be a ground for a refusal by the Supreme Court of South Australia to refuse to admit a person to practice as a legal practitioner in South Australia.

Academic honesty is an essential aspect of ethical and honest behaviour, which is central to the practice of the law and an understanding of what it is to be a lawyer.