Queensland Consolidated Acts

PROPERTY LAW ACT 1974 - SECT 292

292 Contributions to family welfare

(1) The court must consider the contributions, including any homemaking or parenting contributions, made by either of the de facto partners or a child of the de facto partners to the welfare of—

(a) the de facto partners; or

(b) the family constituted by the de facto partners and 1 or more of the following—

(i) a child of the de facto partners;

(ii) a person who is—

(A) accepted by either of the de facto partners into the household of the de facto partners; and

(B) dependent on either of the de facto partners.

(2) However, the contributions of a child of the de facto partners must be considered only if the child’s contributions are substantial.

Example—

A de facto couple own and live on a farm. They have twins, a boy and a girl. The twins always lived on the farm. After the twins left school, the parents bought 2 additional farms. The son then worked on the farms for no wages assuming, in time, 1 of the farms would be his. The daughter looked after the family’s home for no wages assuming, in time, 1 of the farms would be hers. In both cases, the children did much more than the household chores (such as mowing the lawn and doing the dishes) that a family might normally expect of family members. When the children were 31 years, the parents separated.
The son’s contributions are substantial and would be considered under section 291 . The daughter’s contributions are also substantial and would be considered under this section.