Who are the Extended Family Members in Australia?

The Extended Family Members in Australia are those people who are related to you by blood or marriage. This can include your parents, siblings, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, and nephews. 

Extended Family Member Roles

In some cases, people can also be members of the extended family who are not related by blood or marriage, such as in-laws, step-parents, guardians, or other caregivers. 

Australian law recognises the extended family members as those who were part a child’s life or who had responsibility for your upbringing and education before the parent’s separation. 

In these cases, the Court will take into account these pre-existing relationships when determining new living and other arrangements for the children.  In certain circumstances, it is possible for extended family members to make decisions on behalf of a child pursuant to Court Order, for example about medical treatment.

Extended families play an important role in society. Extended families can be defined as any family that is not the nuclear family. Extended families are made up of multiple family members that are related by blood or by marriage. This can include grandparents, aunts, and uncles, cousins, or brothers and sisters.

Extended families are most common in rural areas and smaller towns. However, they are becoming more common in major cities as well. Extended families are often involved in caring for their grandchildren and other dependents.

They also help relatives with household chores and other day-to-day tasks. This allows them to look after their own families and spend time with their children. One of the ways that extended families work is through childcare. Grandparents or other members of the family will often care for grandchildren while their parents are at work.

Extended family members have standing under the Family Law Act 1975 to seek Orders relating to the living arrangements, care and welfare of the children with whom they have a familiar relationship.  As always, the Court will consider what Orders to make in the best interests of the children Grandparent’s Rights 

Grandparents have the right to custody (or “live with” arrangements)  of their grandchildren if they can prove that it is the best interests of the child.  

It is possible for grandparents to lose their custody rights if the parents ask the court or Department of Family and Community Services to remove their rights over the children. This can happen if the parents of the child give the grandparents a reason why they should no longer be allowed to have custody of the child. 

The court will also decide who the children are to live with after the breakup of their parent’s relationship. If both parents agree on this, the children will continue living at home with their parents after separation. If the parents do not agree on who the children should live with, then a judge will decide the matter for them. 

Grandparents also have many legal rights when it comes to seeing their grandchildren and being involved in their lives. 

For example, the courts require that the grandparents be treated in the same way as the parents when it comes to getting information about the children’s welfare and medical care. Grandparents are also allowed to see their grandchildren unsupervised unless a court order says otherwise. 

The grandparents may apply for Orders that the children live with them if they are worried that the children will be neglected by their parents or if they believe the parents’ behaviour puts the children at risk. The general rule is that parents have legal custody of their children and therefore can make decisions about them without consulting anyone else. 

However, there are many exceptions to this rule. For instance, parents do not have legal custody of a child who has been placed in foster care.

For more information, please visit our website: Extended Family Members in Australia