The Education Portal atDocumentation Index
Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://help.rytz.com.au/llms.txt
Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
app.rytz.com.au/education is RYTZ’s plain-English Australian family-law database. It is free for every authenticated user — no subscription, no premium gate. If RYTZ does nothing else for you, the Education Portal alone is a substantial resource.
What’s in it
The Portal covers every major Family Law Act section, every landmark case, and every procedural concept you’ll encounter as a self-represented party. Each entry includes:Plain English definition
What the section or concept actually means, in language that doesn’t assume you’ve been to law school.
Practical meaning
What this looks like when applied to a real matter. The “what does this actually do for me?” view.
Strategic advantage
How this section or concept can be used in your favour. When does it matter, when doesn’t it.
Tactical use
Specific moves the section enables — particular orders to seek, particular evidence to produce, particular arguments to deploy.
Common mistakes
Where self-represented parties typically go wrong. The trap to avoid.
Real-world examples
Anonymised matter examples showing the section in operation. Often drawn from published case law, sometimes constructed scenarios.
Related sections
Cross-references to other Portal entries that connect to this one — saves hours of “I’m not sure if that’s the right section” research.
Court precedents
The leading cases on this section, with citations and one-paragraph summaries. Click through for the full Portal entry on the case.
Documentation required
What evidence the court typically expects when this section is in play.
Timeframes
When this matters in the litigation timeline — pre-action, application, interim, trial.
Cost implications
What invoking this section typically costs — court fees, lawyer time, expert time.
Why it’s free
Two reasons. First, knowledge of the law shouldn’t be paywalled. Australia has a world-class family-law system but the structural costs (full representation 300–600/hr) make it inaccessible to many of the people who need it most. The Portal is RYTZ’s contribution to closing that access gap. Second, the Portal is the platform’s discovery surface. Most users find RYTZ by searching for a specific concept (“section 60I certificate”, “Rice v Asplund”, “consent orders Australia”) and landing on the Portal entry. From there, the rest of the platform makes more sense.How to use it
Three modes:Search by name
Know what you’re looking for? Type the section number, case name, or concept (“equal shared parental responsibility”, “Stanford”, “s60I”). Search returns the Portal entry plus any tightly-related entries.
Browse by topic
Don’t know what to look for? Browse the topic tree: Parenting · Property · Family violence · Children’s voices · Procedure · Evidence · Costs · Appeals.
Follow cross-references
Most entries link to 5–10 related entries. Following the cross-reference graph from a specific concern produces a structured learning path. Useful for “I have an FDR exemption question” → s60I → exceptions → urgency → safety overlay → s60CG → …
Ask the AI
The AI assistant draws on the Portal as one of its grounding sources. Ask “what’s the difference between a parenting plan and consent orders?” and the assistant cites the relevant Portal entries in its answer.
What’s covered
A non-exhaustive list of categories with example entries:Parenting framework
s60CA · s60CC (post-2024 six-factor structure + s60CC(2A)) · s60CG · s60I · s61DA (post-2024 — presumption repealed) · s63C · s64B · s65DAAA · best interests · meaningful relationship · parental responsibility · shared parental responsibility (post-2024) · primary carer · substantial and significant timeProperty and finance
s79 (post-10-June-2025 codified four-step framework) · s90SM · s75(2) · the four-step framework · contributions · future needs · just and equitable threshold · superannuation splitting · binding financial agreements · economic and financial abuse (post-2025) · companion animals (post-2025) · disclosure obligations (post-2025)Family violence
s60CG · s60D · Notice of Risk · ADVO/AVO interaction · safety overlay · economic abuse · dowry abuse · post-separation FV patterns · the s60I exemption pathwayProcedure
FCFCOA structure (Division 1 vs Division 2) · Initiating Application · Response · Affidavits · Disclosure (s79A obligations) · Service · Court events sequence · Conciliation conference · FDR · Trial · Appeals · Consent Orders · CostsChildren
Children’s views · Independent Children’s Lawyer · Family Report · Section 11F report · Child Inclusive Practice · Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural connection · child’s age and weight given to viewsCases
Stanford v Stanford [2012] HCA 52 · Mallet v Mallet (1984) 156 CLR 605 · Rice v Asplund (1979) FLC 90-725 · M v M [1988] HCA 68 · Goode & Goode [2006] FamCA 1346 · Pierce v Pierce [1999] FamCA 1314 · Polonius & York [2010] FamCAFC 228 · Bonnici v Bonnici [1992] FamCA 86 · Kowaliw v Kowaliw [1981] FamCA 70 · Singerson & Joans [2014] FamCAFC 238 · Kennon v Kennon [1997] FamCA 27 · Re Tracey · Howard · Stradford & Stradford [2019] FamCAFC 25 · Childers & Leslie [2008] FamCAFC 5 · Goldsmith & Brennan [2017] FamCAFC 35Currency
The Portal is updated as legislation and case law develop. Two recent major rounds:- 6 May 2024 — Family Law Amendment Act 2023 (Cth) parenting reforms (s60CC restructure, s61DA presumption repealed, s65DAAA codified, ATSI cultural-connection consideration)
- 10 June 2025 — Family Law Amendment Act 2024 (Cth) property reforms (codified four-step framework, FV as express property consideration, companion-animal provisions, enhanced disclosure, asset wastage, ADR for property)
last_updated field and an applies_to reference. Entries on areas of law currently in flux carry a “watch” indicator — the platform regenerates these entries when new authority lands.
The Portal is educational, not legal advice. Every entry’s footer carries the standard disclaimer: read the Portal to understand the framework, then consult a family-law solicitor for matter-specific advice.
Where the Portal connects
- AI assistant — uses Portal entries as grounded reference material
- Parenting Planner — clause prompts cross-reference Portal entries
- Settlement Planner — each step references the Portal entries that frame it
- Case Roadmap — each stage links to the Portal entries that explain it
- Forms Library — form overview pages link to Portal entries on the legal framework
- Master Case File — strategic synthesis cites Portal authority
What’s next
Legal Research Library
The companion surface — primary-source case law and section search across 2,389+ Gold Standard vectors. Also free.
Legal Aid eligibility
Free Australian legal-aid eligibility estimator.
Glossary
Quick lookup for terms and acronyms.
Family Law concepts
Curated five-minute orientation to the Act.