Australia is approaching an important moment for family and fertility law. By the end of July 2026 and during August 2026, the Australian Law Reform Commission, or ALRC, is expected to deliver two major reports to Commonwealth Attorney General Michelle Rowland.
One report will address surrogacy law. The other will examine Australia’s human tissue laws.
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Overseas surrogacy births now recognised in Australia
For years, the recognition of parents through overseas surrogacy has been unnecessarily uncertain. Australian intended parents could return home with a child, a foreign birth certificate and a foreign court order, yet still face questions about whether Australian law recognised them as parents.
That position changed on 1 April 2025. It may be April Fool’s…
WA surrogacy law: same-sex couples win landmark case
For far too long, Western Australia singled out gay couples, single men, and many others in the LGBTQIA+ community for unequal treatment under its surrogacy law. That discrimination has now been struck down in a landmark case, and it is a significant step forward for fairness, family formation, and legal common sense.
The case was…
International Surrogacy Insights: Join Me at the Growing Families Conference
International surrogacy can open extraordinary possibilities for intended parents, but it also comes with legal complexity that should never be underestimated. The rules are different from country to country, sometimes from state to state within the same country, and what looks straightforward at the beginning can become very complicated once parentage, citizenship, travel and documentation…
30 Years a Specialist & 21 Years Together: The Page Provan Story
Some anniversaries arrive with fanfare. Others sneak up quietly and then suddenly feel enormous.
At the end of June and the beginning of July 2026, two milestones sit side by side. One marks 30 years as an accredited family law specialist. The other marks 21 years working alongside Bruce Provan. Together, they say something important…
Australian Surrogacy Law: A Gay Father’s Journey from Prejudice to Pride
Pride Month means different things to different people. For some, it is celebration. For others, it is remembrance, protest, relief, or the simple comfort of being seen. For LGBTQIA+ parents in Australia, Pride can also carry a very specific weight. It can be about family, legal recognition, and the fight to ensure children are protected…
Inside Australia’s Sperm Donor Crisis
Australia’s sperm donor shortage did not appear overnight. It is the product of law, policy and unintended consequences colliding at exactly the wrong time. The result is a system under enormous strain, where demand for donor sperm far exceeds supply, clinics are forced to turn people away, and desperate Australians are being pushed into private…
Can I Move Away With My Child? Relocation Law in Australia
Relocation cases sit among the most difficult parenting disputes in Australian family law. They usually arise when one parent wants to move with a child, or has already moved, in a way that reduces the other parent’s time or involvement. That move might be to another suburb, another regional town, another state, or overseas.
These…
Who is a Parent By Stephen Page
The question sounds simple. Who is a parent?
In law, it is anything but simple.
Biology matters. Birth matters. Intention matters. Paperwork matters. State law matters. Federal law matters. Sometimes they line up neatly. Sometimes they collide in ways that leave families, lawyers and government departments wrestling with very uncomfortable uncertainty.
That is especially true…
Posthumous Conception in Victoria: Retrieval, Consent, and the Law
Posthumous conception cases in Victoria sit at the intersection of grief, medicine, and strict statutory rules. They are deeply personal matters, but they are also highly technical. Timing matters. Consent matters. Process matters. And one of the hardest truths for families is that retrieving eggs, sperm, or embryos is often easier than being legally allowed…