Family Law Act 1975 s 4AB: definition of family violence Verified

"For the purposes of this Act, family violence means violent, threatening or other behaviour by a person that coerces or controls a member of the person's family (the family member), or causes the family member to be fearful."

Examples in s 4AB(2) include stalking, repeated derogatory taunts, economic or financial abuse, & "preventing the family member from making or keeping connections with his or her family, friends or culture". "Coercive control" is not itself a defined term. Federal Register of Legislation, compilation of 10 June 2025. legislation.gov.au/C2004A00275

s 60CC(2)(a): safety is the first best-interests matter, since 6 May 2024 Verified

"what arrangements would promote the safety (including safety from being subjected to, or exposed to, family violence, abuse, neglect, or other harm) of: (i) the child; and (ii) each person who has care of the child"

s 60CC(2A) adds that the court must consider "any history of family violence, abuse or neglect involving the child or a person caring for the child" & any family violence order. Substituted by the Family Law Amendment Act 2023 (No. 87 of 2023), commenced 6 May 2024. legislation.gov.au/C2004A00275

s 79(4)(ca) & s 79(5)(a): family violence in property settlement, since 10 June 2025 Verified

"the effect of any family violence, to which one party to the marriage has subjected or exposed the other party, on the ability of a party to the marriage to make the kind of contributions referred to in paragraphs (a), (b) and (c)"

s 79(5)(a) adds "the effect of any family violence ... on the current and future circumstances of the other party". s 75(2)(aa) does the same for spousal maintenance. Family Law Amendment Act 2024 (No. 118 of 2024), Schedule 1 commenced 10 June 2025. legislation.gov.au/C2004A00275

NSW coercive control offence, from 1 July 2024 Verified

Crimes Act 1900 s 54D, abusive behaviour towards intimate partners. "The maximum penalty for the offence is 7 years imprisonment: s 54D(1)." "The offence commenced on 1 July 2024 and will only apply to conduct occurring on or after that date."

Judicial Commission of NSW, Local Court Bench Book, Domestic violence offences. Date also on AIHW, "Coercive control", updated 24 Feb 2026. judcom.nsw.gov.au · aihw.gov.au

Queensland coercive control offence, from 26 May 2025 Verified

Criminal Law (Coercive Control and Affirmative Consent) and Other Legislation Amendment Act 2024. Maximum 14 years. Requires a course of conduct on more than one occasion, intended to coerce or control, reasonably likely to cause harm.

Queensland Government, coercive control laws page. Criminal Code s 334C(1): an adult in a domestic relationship who "engages in a course of conduct against the other person that consists of domestic violence occurring on more than 1 occasion", intends it "to coerce or control the other person", & the conduct "would, in all the circumstances, be reasonably likely to cause the other person harm". Maximum penalty: 14 years imprisonment. qld.gov.au · legislation.qld.gov.au

101,092 family law applications, 2024-25 Verified

"clearance rates around 100% for all application types, notwithstanding receiving 101,092 family law applications, a 3% increase on the previous year"

Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia, media release on the Annual Report 2024-25, 27 Oct 2025. Breakdown by type & the share with a family violence notice: not yet read. fcfcoa.gov.au

49,158 divorces granted in 2025 Verified

"49,158 divorces were granted in Australia, up 4.1% from the 47,216 divorces granted in 2024."

ABS, Marriages and Divorces, Australia, 2025, released 28 Jul 2026. Crude rate 2.2 per 1,000. Median 9.4 years from marriage to separation, 13.4 years to divorce. The key-stats line says 49,148; body & table say 49,158. abs.gov.au

23% of women & 14% of men: partner emotional abuse since age 15 Verified

Women 23% (2.3m), men 14% (1.3m).

ABS, Personal Safety, Australia, 2021-22, released 15 Mar 2023. AIHW notes these survey figures count incidents & cannot measure coercive control as a pattern. abs.gov.au

16% of women & 7.8% of men: partner economic abuse since age 15 Verified

Women 16% (1.6m), men 7.8% (745,000).

ABS, Personal Safety, Australia, 2021-22. Same release: partner violence, emotional or economic abuse combined, women 27% (2.7m), men 15% (1.5m), all people 21% (4.2m). Partner violence alone, women 17% (1.7m), men 5.5% (526,600). abs.gov.au

34% of adults: monitoring or controlling behaviour through technology Verified

"One in two (51%) Australian adults reported having experienced at least one abusive behaviour in their lifetime." "Most common was monitoring or controlling behaviours (34%)." "Emotional abuse and threats of harm were also common (31%), as was harassment (27%)." "One in three (37%) said the perpetrator was a current or former intimate partner."

Powell, Flynn & Hindes, Technology-facilitated abuse: National survey of Australian adults' experiences, ANROWS Research report 12/2022. Wording from the authors' write-up, Monash Lens, 28 Jul 2022 (the ANROWS site blocks automated reading). Sample size differs between sources (4,562 vs 4,526). lens.monash.edu

Tasmania: economic & emotional abuse offences Verified

Family Violence Act 2004 s 8 economic abuse, s 9 emotional abuse or intimidation. Definition broadened in 2024 to coercive control.

AIHW, "Coercive control", Feb 2026. aihw.gov.au

Western Australia: coercive control in the family violence definition Verified

No standalone offence. Restraining Orders Act 1997 amended in 2024 to include coercive control.

AIHW, Feb 2026. aihw.gov.au

Northern Territory: coercive control in the domestic violence definition since 2023 Verified

Domestic and Family Violence Act 2007. No standalone offence.

AIHW, Feb 2026. aihw.gov.au

South Australia: coercive control offence passed, starts on proclamation Verified

Criminal Law Consolidation (Coercive Control) Amendment Act 2025, No 35 of 2025, assented to 11 Sep 2025. New s 20C, offence of coercive control: a course of conduct with "a controlling impact on another person", intended to have that impact, by a person who "is, or was, in a relationship with the other person". "Maximum penalty: Imprisonment for 7 years."

Act as made, s 2: "This Act comes into operation on a day to be fixed by proclamation." No start date seen. legislation.sa.gov.au

Victoria: standalone offence bill introduced, Aug 2026 Verified

"The reforms create a new standalone offence for coercive control of an intimate partner", "carrying a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison".

Victorian Government media release, 12 Aug 2026, as published by Mary-Anne Thomas MP. Passage & start date not yet confirmed on legislation.vic.gov.au. mary-annethomas.com.au

ACT: Crimes (Coercive Control) Amendment Bill 2026 introduced 28 May 2026 Verified

The bill "was introduced in the ACT Legislative Assembly on 28 May 2026." Referred to the Standing Committee on Legal Affairs, report due 11 Sep 2026. "The crime of coercive control will have a delayed commencement of two years."

ACT Government, "Making coercive control a crime", updated 1 Sep 2026. Not passed as of that date. act.gov.au

National Principles to Address Coercive Control, 22 Sep 2023 Verified

"Coercive control involves perpetrators using patterns of abusive behaviours over time in a way that creates fear and denies liberty and autonomy."

Attorney-General's Department. Released by the Standing Council of Attorneys-General on 22 Sep 2023; 7 principles. ag.gov.au

86% of parenting matters involve family violence allegations Verified

"The Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia reports that 86 per cent of parenting matters involve allegations of family violence and 77 per cent involve allegations of child abuse."

National Legal Aid, "Safe through Separation", 8 Sep 2026. nationallegalaid.org.au

Two-thirds of separated mothers & over half of fathers: emotional abuse before or during separation Verified

"about two-thirds of separated mothers and just over half of separated fathers indicated that their partner had emotionally abused them before or during separation"

ALRC, Family Violence: A National Legal Response (Report 114, 2010), para 15.8, citing AIFS, Evaluation of the 2006 Family Law Reforms (2009). Dated. alrc.gov.au

Physically hurt before separation: 1 in 4 mothers, about 1 in 6 fathers Verified

"One in four mothers and around one in six fathers said that their partners had hurt them physically prior to separation"

ALRC Report 114 (2010), para 15.8, citing AIFS (2009). Dated. alrc.gov.au

Hannah Clarke inquest: phone checking, tracking & recorded calls Verified

Findings delivered 29 Jun 2022 at Southport by Jane Bentley, Deputy State Coroner. Catchwords include coercive control. Para 62: Baxter "checked her phone in the middle of the night"; Hannah "started to think he was tracking her phone and listening to her phone calls". Para 58: he "recorded and listened to Hannah's phone calls to her mother".

Coroners Court of Queensland, findings of inquest. coronerscourt.qld.gov.au

Hear her voice, Report One: 89 recommendations, 2 Dec 2021 Verified

The Women's Safety and Justice Taskforce's first report "includes 89 recommendations for Government". The Attorney-General said its findings "will help lay the foundation to criminalise coercive control."

Queensland Government media statement, 2 Dec 2021. statements.qld.gov.au