Consultation on the ‘Happily Ever (before and) After’ brochure for marrying couples
Submission Date: 10 September 2025
The Law Council of Australia provided feedback to the Attorney-General’s Department on the draft ‘Happily Ever (before and) After’ brochure for marrying couples (draft brochure).
The Law Council acknowledges the assistance of the Law Council’s Family Law Section, the Law Institute of Victoria, and the Law Society of South Australia in the preparation of this submission.
Pursuant to the Marriage Act 1961 (Cth), a marriage celebrant must provide couples with information that outlines the obligations and consequences of marriage, and indicates the availability of marriage education and counselling.1 To achieve this, the Department has updated the existing brochure that celebrants are required to provide to couples,2 with the aim of clarifying the information presented and reflecting recent legislative changes.
Subject to the feedback in the submission, the Law Council endorses the draft brochure and considers that this document appropriately encapsulates the legislative intent.
1 Marriage Act 1961 (Cth) s 45(5A).
2 Attorney General’s Department, Happily Ever…Before and After: Information for couples planning to marry (2020).
Last Updated on 30/09/2025
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