PRESUMPTION+AND+THE#LAW:!! A!CRITICAL'EVALUATION)OF)PRESUMPTION+IN+ THE$AUSTRALIAN)LEGAL%REGIMES&GOVERNING( THE$FINANCIAL&CONSEQUENCES(ON(CESSATION( OF#NON"MARITAL'RELATIONSHIPS+THROUGH& DEATH%OR%DISSOLUTION! ! Amanda!Head! BEc!!LLB!(Hons)! ! A!thesis!in!fulfilment!of!the!requirements!for!the!degree!of!Doctor! of!Philosophy!! Macquarie!Law!School!! Macquarie!University! Sydney!NSW! ! 12!November!2014 ! TABLE!OF!CONTENTS! TABLE!OF!CONTENTS!.......................................................................................................!I! ABSTRACT!.....................................................................................................................!XI! STATEMENT!OF!CANDIDATE!........................................................................................!XIII! ACKNOWLEDGMENTS!.................................................................................................!XIII! PUBLICATION!AND!PRESENTATIONS!...........................................................................!XIV! Article(.........................................................................................................................................................................(xiv! Conferences(..............................................................................................................................................................(xiv! DEFINITIONS!................................................................................................................!XV! INTRODUCTION!.............................................................................................................!1! CHAPTER!ONE:!!BACKGROUND!AND!LITERATURE!REVIEW!..............................................!9! 1.1((Introduction(.........................................................................................................................................................(9! 1.2(Legislative(Background(..................................................................................................................................(10! 1.2.1!!Development!of!De!Facto!Regulation!in!Australia!........................................................................................!10! 1.2.1.1!1900–1983!.............................................................................................................................................................!10! 1.2.1.2!Family!Provision!Law!........................................................................................................................................!11! 1.2.1.3!Family!Property!Law!.........................................................................................................................................!13! 1.2.1.4!Concluding!Comments!–!Australian!Family!Property!anD!Family!Provision!Law!..................!21! 1.2.3!!De!Facto!Relationship!Regulation!in!CanaDa!...................................................................................................!22! ! i! ! 1.2.4!!De!Facto!Relationship!Regulation!in!the!UniteD!Kingdom!.........................................................................!24! 1.3.(Literature(Review(............................................................................................................................................(27! 1.3.1!The!Formal!Approach!to!Relationship!Recognition!......................................................................................!29! 1.3.2!Functional!Family!Law!...............................................................................................................................................!33! 1.3.2.1!!Australia!–!Functional!Family!Law!in!Practice!......................................................................................!35! 1.3.2.2!!The!Notion!of!Conjugality!...............................................................................................................................!36! 1.4((The(Use(of(Statistics(........................................................................................................................................(39! 1.5(Conclusion(–(Distinct(Contribution(of(this(Thesis(and(the(Research(Questions(..........................(42! CHAPTER!TWO:!STATISTICS!AND!SOCIAL!SCIENCE!RESEARCH!........................................!46! 2.1.(Introduction(......................................................................................................................................................(46! 2.2(Statistics(and(Trends(.......................................................................................................................................(49! 2.2.1!Cohabitation!anD!Marriage!.......................................................................................................................................!49! 2.2.2!Duration!............................................................................................................................................................................!53! 2.3.(Homogeneity(v(Heterogeneity(.....................................................................................................................(55! 2.3.1!An!Alternative!Approach!...........................................................................................................................................!55! 2.3.2!Cohabiting!Typologies!................................................................................................................................................!56! 2.3.2.1!Cohabitation!as!a!Trial!Marriage!or!as!an!Alternative!to!Marriage!...............................................!56! 2.3.2.2!Recent!anD!More!NuanceD!Research!..........................................................................................................!57! 2.3.3!Concluding!Comments!................................................................................................................................................!60! 2.4.(Young(&(Childless(Cohabitants(....................................................................................................................(60! 2.4.1!The!Transition!into!Cohabitation!..........................................................................................................................!61! 2.4.2!Motivation!BehinD!Cohabitation!–!Reasons!for!Living!Together!.............................................................!64! ii! 2.4.3!Dissolution!of!Young!Adult!Relationships!.........................................................................................................!66! 2.4.4!Cohabitation,!Commitment!anD!Young!Adults!.................................................................................................!67! 2.4.5!Young!People!anD!Cohabitation!–!Concluding!Comments!..........................................................................!69! 2.5.(Financial(Aspects(of(IntiMate(Relationships(..........................................................................................(70! 2.5.1!Money!Management!within!Intimate!Relationships!.....................................................................................!70! 2.5.2!Economic!Consequences!of!the!EnD!of!Cohabitation!....................................................................................!74! 2.6.(FaMilies(and(Domestic(Labour(...................................................................................................................(76! 2.6.1!Cohabitation!anD!Domestic!Labour!......................................................................................................................!76! 2.6.2!Cohabiting!Parents,!Domestic!Labour!anD!ChilD!Care!..................................................................................!78! 2.6.3!Cohabitation!anD!Children’s!Outcomes!...............................................................................................................!81! 2.7.(Conclusion(.........................................................................................................................................................(83! CHAPTER!THREE:!FAMILY!PROPERTY!LAW!....................................................................!85! 3.1(Introduction(.......................................................................................................................................................(85! 3.2(Philosophical(and(Historical(Foundations(..............................................................................................(87! 3.2.1!Philosophical!Framework!.........................................................................................................................................!87! 3.2.2!Marriage!anD!the!FLA!..................................................................................................................................................!99! 3.2.2.1!Marriage,!Society!anD!Responsibility!.......................................................................................................!101! 3.2.2.2!Marriage!anD!Injustice!....................................................................................................................................!103! 3.3(Purpose(of(the(Current(Legislative(RegiMe(...........................................................................................(108! 3.3.1!The!Framework!of!the!Current!Legislative!Regime!.....................................................................................!109! 3.3.2!Criticisms!of!the!Evaluative!Framework!..........................................................................................................!111!