The new laws declare that de facto couples who satisfy basic criteria – such as being in the relationship for at least two years – will be treated in the Family Court in the same way as a married couple. It also applies to same-sex couples…

Let’s take the example of who gets a man’s estate if he dies while having both a wife and a mistress. If the man dies without leaving a will and his relationship with the mistress was longer than two years, then the question of who is entitled to a share of the estate falls under Sections 123 and 125 of the NSW Succession Act 2006…