There are two lectures per week. All lectures will be recorded.

Seminars will be conducted weekly. There will NOT be a seminar in Week One.

On successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

      1. Develop an understanding of the legal and procedural structure of the family law system. 
      2. Apply the primary principles and policies that underpin the application of family law.
      3. Be able to locate, analyse, evaluate and synthesise materials so as to undertake advanced legal research.
      4. Undertake analysis of complex legal problems.

1. Lecture slides, seminar questions, and supplementary materials will be available on MyUni.
2. The Family Law Act (Cth) 1975 is available online; it is a voluminous Act and will be referred to throughout the course. Students may find it more convenient if they have a bound printed copy. You can access the Act and order your copy here.

Textbook:
Belinda Fehlberg et al, Australian Family Law (Oxford University Press, 2nd ed, 2015) is available at the Co Op both on campus and online.

Canvas will be used to post announcements, course materials and announce assignment tasks.

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

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

Contact time: Attend 2 hours of lectures plus a 1 hour seminar each week. This amounts to a minimum of 33 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.

Course Structure and Outline
The seminar problem questions and discussion will be based on the preceding week's topic.

Week 1
Introduction to Family Law Course and the History of the Family Law Act

Week 2
Marriage and De Facto Relationships

Week 3
Divorce, Nullity, and Terminating De Facto Relationships

Week 4
An Introduction to Children's Issues

Week 5
Parenting Orders

Week 6
No Lectures or Seminars due to Easter Long Weekend and assignment due on the 6th

Week 7
Child Support

Week 8
International Regulation

Week 9
Property Settlement

Week 10
Property Interests I

Week 11
Property Interests II

Week 12
Financial Agreements, Superannuation, and Costs

Week 13
Examination Revision

Assessment Task	Weighting	Task Type	Due	Length	Redeemable	Learning Outcome
Research Paper	30%	Individual	Friday April 6th at 2pm	1,500 words maximum	No	1-3
Examination	70%	Individual	Exam Period	2 hours duration (+ 10 minutes reading time)	No	1-4

The research essay is compulsory and not redeemable by the examination.

Research Paper
A compulsory research essay weighted at 30% of the final course mark and not redeemable by the final examination.
Details of the essay topics will be posted on Canvas during the second 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:  Friday 6th  April 2018 at 2:00pm

Examination
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 an essay. The essay question will have an internal option of a choice of two topics, only one of which may be answered.
The examination is weighted at 70% of the final course mark.
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.

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 electronically through Turnitin. 

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.

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.

Finality of Assessment Grades

Students are advised that Course Coordinators will not enter into negotiations of any kind with any student regarding changes to their grades. It is irrelevant, in any given circumstance, that only a minimal number of additional marks are required to inflate a student’s grade for any individual assessment item or course as a whole. Pursuant to the University’s Assessment for Coursework Programs Policyand the Adelaide Law School Assessment Policies and Procedures, grades may only be varied through the appropriate channels for academic review (such as an official re-mark).

Moderation

In accordance with the University’s Assessment for Coursework Programs Policy, course coordinators ‘ensure that appropriate marking guidelines and cross-marking moderation processes across markers are in place’ in each course. Procedures adopted by Adelaide Law School to ensure consistency of marking in courses with multiple markers include:

• assurance of the qualifications of markers, and their knowledge of the content covered in each course;
• detailed marking guidelines and assessment rubrics to assist in the marking of items of assessment;
• sharing of example marked assessments at various grade bands across markers;
• reviewing of selected marked assessments from each marker by the course coordinator;
• comparison of the marks and their distribution across markers;
• automatic double-marking of all interim assessment receiving a fail grade, and of final assessments where a student’s overall result is a fail grade;
• the availability of re-marking of assessments in accordance with Adelaide Law School’s Assessment Policies and Procedures.

Approval of Results by Board of Examiners

Students are reminded that all assessment results are subject to approval (and possible moderation/change) by the Law School’s Board of Examiners. Assessment results at the University are not scaled. Under the Assessment for Coursework Programs Policy, students are assessed ‘by reference to their performance against pre-determined criteria and standards … and not by ranking against the performance of the student cohort in the course’. However, under that same policy, the Board of Examiners (as the relevant Assessment Review Committee for courses at Adelaide Law School) is required to ‘ensure comparability of standards and consistency’ in assessment. On occasions, the Board of Examiners will form the view that some moderation is required to ensure the comparability of standards and consistency across courses and years, and accordingly provide fairness to all law students. All assessment results are therefore subject to approval (and possible change) until confirmed by the Board of Examiners and posted on Access Adelaide at the end of each semester.

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.

The centre offers 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.

Lex Salus Program

Lex Salus (law and wellbeing) is an initiative of the Adelaide Law School aimed at destigmatising mental health issues; promoting physical, mental and emotional wellness; building a strong community of staff and students; and celebrating diversity within the school. It also seeks to promote wellness within the legal profession, through the involvement of the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of South Australia, the Honourable Chris Kourakis, as the official Patron of the program.

Students can participate in the Lex Salus program by attending barbecue lunches, pancake breakfasts, knitting and crochet circles, seminars, guest speakers, conferences and other activities. Our Facebook page, website and regular all-student emails promote upcoming events, and have tips and information on wellness.

Our Lex Salus YouTube channel also includes videos on topics like managing stress, and interviews with LGBTQ lawyers and their supporters which celebrate diversity and individuality. Students who commit to 10 hours of volunteering with Lex Salus in one year can have their service recognised on their academic transcript and through a thank you morning tea with the Chief Justice and law school staff.

Student Life Counselling Support

The University’s Student Life Counselling Support service provides free and confidential service to all enrolled students. We encourage you to contact the Student Life Counselling Support service on 8313 5663 to make an appointment to deal with any issues that may be affecting your study and life.

Academic Honesty

Academic dishonesty is a serious act of academic misconduct. All students must be familiar with the University’s Academic Honesty Policy.

Academic dishonesty is a serious matter and is treated as such by the Law School and the University. Academic dishonesty (which goes beyond plagiarism) can be a ground for a refusal by the Supreme Court of South Australia 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.