Pets will no longer be considered property in family law disputes (AU.)

[canetoad]

When a relationship ends, you're sometimes faced with dividing possessions from the house down to the toaster. And traditionally, if you had to go to court to work it out, your pets would be included on that list of property, too.

Eve Smith, a collaborative international family lawyer and pet custody expert, says in the eyes of the law, animals have long been "considered the same as a dining table and chairs, or car, or boat". "It really came down to whose name the dog or cat was in: who bought the animal?"

That will no longer be the case across Australia from June 10, when the Family Law Amendment Act 2024 comes into effect. It provides a new framework for determining ownership of the family pet in property settlements.

"Now it's not only whose name the animal is in, but other factors are taken into account such as who walks the dog, feeds it, takes it to the vet, pays for medical expenses," says Ms Smith.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-06-05/pets-no-longer-to-be-considered-property-in-family-law-disputes/105352874