Option: Family

7 dot points across 7 inquiry questions, in syllabus order. Each dot point has a focused answer, with exam-style questions and worked answers where available.

How does Australian family law respond to contemporary issues such as surrogacy and same-sex parenting?

Contemporary issues concerning family law: surrogacy and birth technologies (and same-sex parenting); identify and investigate the issue and evaluate the effectiveness of legal and non-legal responses

HSC Legal Studies Family option. Surrogacy and birth technologies as a contemporary issue - the Surrogacy Act 2010 (NSW) and parentage orders, overseas commercial surrogacy and the extraterritorial offence, Masson v Parsons (2019), ART and donor conception, same-sex parenting, the ALRC Review of Surrogacy Laws (2025 to 2026) and an evaluation of effectiveness.

16 min read →

How does the law recognise different types of relationships?

Legal requirements of marriage and alternative family relationships, including de facto relationships, registered relationships and the recognition of same-sex relationships (a contemporary issue that must be studied)

HSC Legal Studies Family option. The legal requirements of a valid marriage under the Marriage Act 1961 (Cth), void marriages and forced marriage offences, de facto and registered relationships, and the recognition of same-sex relationships from decriminalisation to the 2017 marriage equality reform, with 2025 ABS data and an evaluation of effectiveness.

14 min read →

What is family law in Australia, and how does it operate?

The nature of family law: the concept of family law, legal rights and obligations of parents and children, and adoption; discuss the difficulty of defining 'family' and distinguish between state and federal jurisdiction in family law

HSC Legal Studies Family option. The changing concept of family, state and federal jurisdiction (s 51(xxi) and (xxii), referrals of power), the Family Law Act 1975 (Cth) and the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia, the legal rights and obligations of parents and children (including the Convention on the Rights of the Child) and adoption in NSW, with 2024 to 2026 reforms.

15 min read →

How does the law respond to domestic and family violence?

Dealing with domestic violence: evaluate the effectiveness of the law in protecting victims of domestic violence, including apprehended domestic violence orders and the NSW coercive control offence

HSC Legal Studies Family option. Domestic and family violence in NSW and Australia, ADVOs under the Crimes (Domestic and Personal Violence) Act 2007 (NSW), the coercive control offence (Crimes Act 1900 (NSW) s 54D, from 1 July 2024) and BOCSAR data on its use, 2024 and 2025 bail, breach and SDAPO reforms, family law responses, non-legal responses and an evaluation of effectiveness.

16 min read →

How does the law protect children at risk of harm, and how effective is the NSW care and protection system?

Contemporary issues concerning family law: care and protection of children; identify and investigate this issue and evaluate the effectiveness of legal and non-legal responses

HSC Legal Studies Family option. The Children and Young Persons (Care and Protection) Act 1998 (NSW) - reporting, risk of significant harm, removal, Children's Court orders and the permanency principles - the Family is Culture reforms, current DCJ and AIHW data, the 2026 Ombudsman findings, the 2025-26 child protection package, and an evaluation of legal and non-legal responses.

14 min read →

How has the law's idea of parental responsibility changed, and how effectively does it respond to the needs of children in modern families?

Contemporary issues concerning family law: the changing nature of parental responsibility; identify and investigate this issue and evaluate the effectiveness of legal and non-legal responses

HSC Legal Studies Family option. Parental responsibility from parental rights to children's best interests - the Family Law Act 1975 (Cth) after the 2023 reforms (from 6 May 2024), decision-making, parenting plans and orders, the maturing child, child support and its 2026 reforms, same-sex and donor families, NSW law, and an evaluation of legal and non-legal responses.

15 min read →

How is divorce determined, and how does the law decide parenting arrangements?

Responses to problems in family relationships: divorce, the legal consequences of separation (children and property), the roles of courts and dispute resolution methods, and the changing nature of parental responsibility

HSC Legal Studies Family option. No-fault divorce, parenting orders and the best interests of the child after the Family Law Amendment Act 2023 (Cth) (in force 6 May 2024), property settlement after the Family Law Amendment Act 2024 (Cth) (from 10 June 2025), courts, family dispute resolution, NGOs and the media, and an evaluation of justice for parties in relationship breakdowns.

16 min read →