Category Archives: Relationship Support

Family Relationship Services – why does your celebrant tell you about this?

07 Jul 2015
Posted in: Celebrant, Legal Requirements, Relationship Support 0

You are happily planning your wedding and looking forward to a wonderful future of blissful married life together.

So why is your celebrant telling you about family relationship services or counselling or pre-marriage education – can they predict something about your relationship or are they just being pessimistic about the future of any marrying couple?

The reality is that each Celebrant must comply with the Marriage Act, which specifies that they must conduct themselves in accordance with a Code of Practice (contained as Schedule 1A of the Regulations).  Specifically, Item 6 of the Code states:  “Knowledge and understanding of family relationships services.  A marriage celebrant must: 1. maintain an up‑to‑date knowledge about appropriate family relationships services in the community; and 2. inform parties about the range of information and services available to them to enhance, and sustain them throughout, their relationship.”

Your celebrant will be able to provide you with details of services specific to your region, and will also provide you with a copy of the Government issued booklet “Happily Ever … Before and After”.  This booklet specifically discusses Family Relationships Online, which is an Australian Government Initiative.

Family Relationships Online provides all families with access to information about family relationship issues, ranging from building better relationships to dispute resolution. It also allows families to find out about a range of services that can assist them to manage relationship issues.

You can contact Family Relationships Online at: http://www.familyrelationships.gov.au or by phone on 1899 050 321.

So your celebrant is not being negative by providing you with this information, they are meeting their legal obligations and also providing you with details of a service that could help your relationship should you ever need it.

End of the Stronger Relationships Trial

01 Feb 2015
Posted in: Legal Requirements, Relationship Support 0

 

 

Celebrants have a legal requirement to advise a marrying couple of details of “information and services available to them to enhance, and sustain them throughout, their relationship.” (Marriage Regulations 1963 – Regulation 37L 6b).

A Government initiative to help strengthen relationships, and reduce the divorce rate, was the Stronger Relationships trial.  In summary, the Trial:

  • commenced on 1 July 2014 for a trial period of 12 months;
  • offered a $200.00 subsidy for relationship education and counselling to eligible couples; and
  • was open to all couples who were over the age of 18 years and in a committed relationship.

A media release issued on 1 February 2015 by the Minister for Social Services, the Hon. Scott Morrison, advises that due to the trial being undersubscribed, the trial will end on Monday 9 February 2015.

What does this mean for marrying couples?

If you haven’t already signed up for this Trial, and want to participate, you must register before Monday 9 February 2015.  You can do this at: www.dss.gov.au/strongerrelationships.

If you have signed up for the Trial, you have until June 2015 to use the services offered.

You can read the media release here at: http://scottmorrison.dss.gov.au/media-releases/extra-17-million-for-frontline-social-services-as-stronger-relationships-trial-ends

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  • For us, the ceremony was the most important aspect of our day and Rosemary helped us to find the right words to express our love and commitment to each other. Many people commented on how moving they found the ceremony and how well it reflected us as both individuals and as a couple. We would highly recommend Rosemary to anyone seeking a celebrant sensitive to and able to respond to the clients requirements.

    Karen and Grant

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    Ruby and Mike

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    Mark and Anna

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    Sandra and Terry

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    Laura and Tim

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