The course is designed for students who anticipate undertaking family law work as a legal practitioner. The skills that you will develop in this course will also be useful in other areas of legal practice.
Previous study of family law in an LLB and JD program is not a pre-requisite for enrolment in or completion of Family Law Practice, although aspects of the course will be more challenging for students if they have not studied family law in the past.
The focus of the course is on developing the following skills and attributes which are of critical importance in the work of family lawyers:
• Client communication skills;
• Affidavit drafting;
• Order drafting;
• Letter writing;
• Advocacy;
• Time management;
• Information management; and
• Emotional awareness.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:
By participating in the course and undertaking structured and self-regulated learning activities, a student will develop and apply knowledge and skills to be able to:
1. Analyse critically, reflect on and synthesise complex evidence rules, substantive law and client instructions in order to:
- elicit information from the client to enable preparation of documentation
seeking interim orders in relation to a matter concerning children, including
consideration of pre-action procedures; and
- represent a client, including at an interim hearing, in accordance with good
practice.
2. Interpret and transmit knowledge to specialist and non-specialist audiences
in order to:
- document, in accordance with law and good practice, the result of a
resolution process in relation to a matter concerning property;
- identify and explain to a client the revenue implications of the proposed
settlement; and
- inform the client of all the relevant available options in a way that a
reasonable client could understand.
3. Apply advanced and integrated knowledge and skills in client communication,
drafting and advocacy to demonstrate expert judgment, adaptability and
responsibility as a legal practitioner.
4. Identify, assess and evaluate other (non-legal) factors relevant to a particular
client and critically reflect on their impact on the client and any action
required.
5. Demonstrate and reflect critically on their ethical and professional behaviour
and responsibilities.
6. Demonstrate and apply the knowledge, skills and values required to achieve
the ‘Competency Standards for Entry Level Lawyers’ as determined by the Law
Admissions Consultative Council.
Indicative Assessment
Students are required to research and draft documentation in relation to a contested children’s case, draft documentation to formalise a property agreement including writing a letter of advice to a client, represent the client at an interim hearing, reflect on issues arising in family law practice and create and implement a time management system.
The ANU uses Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. While the use of Turnitin is not mandatory, the ANU highly recommends Turnitin is used by both teaching staff and students. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the ANU Online website.
Workload
There are no set contact hours. Students should expect to spend about 10 - 15 hours per week in reading and course related tasks to complete the course.
Requisite and Incompatibility
Prescribed Texts
Prescribed texts are available online and are advised to students through the course website in WATTLE.
Preliminary Reading
The reading list includes sections of the Family Law Act, Family Law Rules, the Federal Magistrates Court Rules and Family Law Practice Commentary.
Assumed Knowledge
The course is designed for law graduates intending to proceed into legal practice. Previous study or knowledge of family law is not required.
Fees
Tuition fees are for the academic year indicated at the top of the page.
If you are a domestic graduate coursework or international student you will be required to pay tuition fees. Tuition fees are indexed annually. Further information for domestic and international students about tuition and other fees can be found at Fees.
- Student Contribution Band:
- 3
- Unit value:
- 3 units
If you are an undergraduate student and have been offered a Commonwealth supported place, your fees are set by the Australian Government for each course. At ANU 1 EFTSL is 48 units (normally 8 x 6-unit courses). You can find your student contribution amount for each course at Fees. Where there is a unit range displayed for this course, not all unit options below may be available.
| Units | EFTSL |
|---|---|
| 3.00 | 0.06250 |
Course fees
- Domestic fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2016 | $1147 |
- International fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2016 | $1503 |
Offerings, Dates and Class Summary Links
ANU utilises MyTimetable to enable students to view the timetable for their enrolled courses, browse, then self-allocate to small teaching activities / tutorials so they can better plan their time. Find out more on the Timetable webpage.
Class summaries, if available, can be accessed by clicking on the View link for the relevant class number.
Autumn Session
| Class number | Class start date | Last day to enrol | Census date | Class end date | Mode Of Delivery | Class Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5280 | 28 Mar 2016 | 01 Apr 2016 | 08 Apr 2016 | 20 May 2016 | Online | N/A |
Winter Session
| Class number | Class start date | Last day to enrol | Census date | Class end date | Mode Of Delivery | Class Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6476 | 04 Jul 2016 | 08 Jul 2016 | 15 Jul 2016 | 26 Aug 2016 | Online | N/A |
