Are pets truly members of the family? New provisions relating to ‘companion animals’ in the <i>Family Law Act 1975</i> (Cth)

This article considers the new provisions to the Family Law Act 1975 (Cth) (‘ FLA ’) that came into effect in June 2025, which recognise ‘companion animals’ as a category of property to be dealt with upon a relationship breakdown. Animals have not been included in the FLA previously; the new provisions are significant as they now recognise the importance animals have in Australian households. This article explores how the family law courts dealt with pets prior to the recent amendments and provides an overview of the new provisions to the FLA . Discussion of the limitations to these provisions will highlight the ways in which the amendments may fall short of community expectations.