Overview
The Family Law Amendment (2026 Measures No. 1) Regulations 2026 were registered on the Federal Register of Legislation as F2026L01170 and came into force on 8 September 2026. The regulations amend the Family Law Regulations 2024 and are administered by the Attorney-General's Department.
What the amendments cover
The regulations make changes in three areas:
- Surrogacy parentage orders in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT)
- Surrogacy parentage orders in Western Australia (WA)
- Updates to the list of prescribed overseas jurisdictions
The source document does not specify the exact nature of the changes within each of these three areas beyond their headings.
Key actions
The following steps are stated in the source:
- Businesses involved in family law services - such as legal practice - are required to review the amended Family Law Regulations 2024 to understand the updated surrogacy parentage order rules for the ACT and WA. The full text is available at https://www.legislation.gov.au/F2026L01170.
- Businesses dealing with clients in cross-border or international family law matters are required to check the updated list of prescribed overseas jurisdictions in Schedule 1, Part 3 of these regulations.
Where to find the full text
The complete instrument is available on the Federal Register of Legislation at https://www.legislation.gov.au/F2026L01170.
This is a plain-English summary for information only, not legal or compliance advice. Always check the official source or consult a qualified professional.