Section 1C — Property (Relationships) Act 1976: What this Act is about

1C What this Act is about (1) This Act is mainly about how the property of married couples and civil union couples and couples who have lived in a de facto relationship is to be divided up when they separate or 1 of them dies. (2) This Act applies differently depending on the length of the marriage between the husband and wife or the civil union between the civil union partners or the de facto relationship between the de facto partners: (a) in the case of marriages and civil unions, special rules apply to marriages and civil unions of less than 3 years: (b) in the case of de facto relationships, this Act usually applies only when the de facto partners have lived together for at least 3 years, but it may apply to shorter de facto relationships in certain circumstances. (3) In general, the couple's property is to be divided equally between the couple. Part 1 (comprising sections 1A to 1L) was inserted, as from 1 February 2002, by section 6 Property (Relationships) Amendment Act 2001 (2001 No 5). See Part 9 of this Act as to the transitional and saving provisions. Subsection (1) was amended, as from 26 April 2005, by section 3(4) Property (Relationships) Amendment Act 2005 (2005 No 19) by inserting the words “ and civil union couples ” after the words “ married couples ” . Subsection (2) was amended, as from 26 April 2005, by section 3(4) Property (Relationships) Amendment Act 2005 (2005 No 19) by inserting the words “ or the civil union between the civil union partners ” after the word “ wife ” . Subsection (2)(a) was amended, as from 26 April 2005, by section 3(4) Property (Relationships) Amendment Act 2005 (2005 No 19) by inserting the words “ and civil unions ” after the word “ marriages ” in both places it appears.