De Facto may seek Spouse Maintenance

**Hessah** · 11-12-2008, 12:12 AM

A new law has passed for Aussies...

Quote:

Love cheats may pay for affairs
Claire Lowe
November 12, 2008 - 9:49AM

Extramarital affairs could really cost you, with new laws set to allow ex-lovers to get money out of their former partners through the courts.

Changes to the Family Law Act could also threaten the bank balances of polygamous husbands or others with a string of former partners should they decide to take legal action.

These changes, passed in the Senate yesterday, will grant de facto partners together for two years the same rights as married couples when seeking spousal maintenance.

Full Article

So if you live with someone for 2 years or more, and you want to break up, there's a chance they can take you to court and demand a spousal maintenance.

Seems a bit scary. So many young people nowadays lives together, all of a sudden after a 2 years mark (which I think is pretty short), they could potentially be locked in legally, and they wouldn't even know it.

In a way, this gives same-sex couples the same rights as married couples if a relationship's gone bad. But are they over doing it a bit with this new law?

**Loveless** · 11-12-2008, 12:19 AM

That does seem a bit scary and 2 years is probably nothing to a lot of people living together. I suppose it will make couples think twice about living together too early and the commitment that comes with sharing a home.

But still seems a bit extreme... not everyone breaks up on good terms.

**Belaslav** · 11-12-2008, 12:22 AM

Seems a little extreme IMO. I bet now they'll keep a calendar for this thing... Like this scenario:

- "Will you be my girlfriend?"
- "Sur."
- "Hawt."

/writes down date

...
*1 year and 364 days later guy looks at calendar*

O shi...

/breaks up

Teh Edn.

EDIT: Dam I just realized it's not MoS.

**Hessah** · 11-12-2008, 12:24 AM

Yeah... and.. imagine you're 23... found a sugar bf... lived together for 3 years... and he pays for all the rent and food...

3 years later he goes off with another girl... and u're 26.. u can sit on your bum and demand spouse maintenance from him...

well i dunno if the court will approve something like that when you're probably well and capable to find your own job... but it does give unreasonable people an avenue to seek money from others...

**Hraesvelg** · 11-12-2008, 01:32 AM

So, if the female decides to break it off, would a guy be able to get money from her?

**Loveless** · 11-12-2008, 01:37 AM

I would think so? I mean it shouldn't be that the man is the only person responsible when it comes to break-ups.

**Hessah** · 11-12-2008, 01:38 AM

Supposingly it should work the same way... (if the guy has been financially dependent on the woman....)

but i somehow believe that the guy will have to work 5x extra hard to prove he needs the compensation from the woman... than if it was the other way around

**Hraesvelg** · 11-12-2008, 01:41 AM

I was just curious about how the courts worked over there. They tend to skew in the woman's favor here quite heavily when it comes to family court things.

**Hessah** · 11-12-2008, 01:42 AM

Yeah i think they do skew more in the woman's favour most of the time... I'm not 100% sure either... but thats the impression I get from things like that...

**Loveless** · 11-12-2008, 01:47 AM

Women have the greatest weapon at their disposal: tears.

But really, I'm guessing that people who start living together are usually in their 20s maybe early 30s... I would think that both sides are more than capable of taking care of themselves. If they are not at that age then... yeesh, god forbid. In my opinion, if they have the time and money to take such matters to court they should go find a new place, perhaps a new job and move on.

Of course people have taken lesser matters to court.