Written by Partner Reece Ramsden | Published: 14 September 2026
At Ramsden Family Law, we strongly advocate for and support the LGBTIQA+ community, and we have helped many same-sex couples navigate family law matters over the years. That commitment is why we are proud to announce that we are a 2026/27 Sponsor of Pride in Law, Australia’s national LGBTIQA+ law association.
What Does Pride in Law Do?
Pride in Law is a national, non-political association of lawyers, academics and other legal professionals dedicated to enhancing the lives of the LGBTIQA+ community. It connects lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, queer, questioning and asexual (LGBTIQA+) members of the legal profession, along with their allies, across every legal discipline.
Pride in Law’s work centres on three main areas. Through legal education, it organises scholarly forums and events that engage lawyers and allies in current LGBTIQA+ legal debates. Through professional networking, it coordinates lawyer-to-lawyer meetings, social gatherings and larger legal networking events that help LGBTIQA+ legal professionals build community and support each other’s careers. And through advocacy, it collaborates with lawyers across multiple disciplines to confront pressing legal issues affecting the LGBTIQA+ community and their allies.
Why We Chose to Sponsor Pride in Law
We chose to sponsor Pride in Law because we genuinely believe in the work that they do. As a firm, we act for same-sex couples across separation, property settlement, parenting arrangements and surrogacy matters. We want that work, and the clients behind it, to be properly recognised in the legal space. Sponsoring Pride in Law is a way of putting our support into action, not just stating it.
Our Work Supporting Same-Sex Couples
Same-sex couples face the same range of family law issues as any other couple, along with a handful of legal complexities that are unique to their circumstances. Our team has built specific experience across both.
Common Family Law Matters for Same-Sex Couples
Most of the family law work we do for same-sex clients mirrors what we do for any separating couple: negotiating and formalising property settlements, resolving parenting arrangements for children of the relationship, and establishing whether a de facto relationship exists for Australian family law when a couple has not married.
Complexities Same-Sex Couples Can Face
Alongside these standard matters, same-sex couples can encounter issues that require more specialised advice. Surrogacy and parentage arrangements often need careful legal structuring so that both parents’ rights are properly recognised. Adoption pathways can raise their own questions of legal parentage. And couples whose relationships began well before marriage equality passed in December 2017 need advice on how a long de facto relationship is treated for property and settlement purposes, since the law looks at when the relationship actually began, not when (or whether) it was later formalised through marriage. Cross-border recognition can also come into play for couples who lived or married overseas before relocating to Australia.
How Our Team Approaches These Matters
We approach every matter with the same sensitivity and technical expertise, regardless of a client’s relationship or family structure. That means listening first, explaining the law in plain language, and never asking a client to justify or explain their relationship before we can advise them properly. For many of our LGBTIQA+ clients, having a legal team that already understands the landscape, rather than one encountering these issues for the first time, makes a genuine difference to how supported they feel through a difficult process.
For example, we have acted for same-sex couples separating after decades together, whose relationship long predated marriage equality, helping them resolve property settlements that reflected the full length of their partnership rather than only the years since they were legally able to marry. We have also advised same-sex parents through surrogacy arrangements to ensure parentage orders were properly obtained and both parents’ legal rights were secured from the outset.
A Word from Family Law Accredited Specialist Reece Ramsden
“Family law should work the same way for every couple, regardless of who they love. As an openly gay person, this is deeply personal to me, as well as a professional commitment. Over the years, I’ve acted for many same-sex couples through separation, surrogacy, property settlements, and parenting matters, and I’ve seen firsthand how much it matters to have a legal team that understands their relationship without needing it explained to them first. Sponsoring Pride in Law is a natural extension of that commitment. It’s about formally backing a community I’m personally part of as an openly gay man, and one that we already stand alongside every day.”
– Reece Ramsden, Partner and Family Law Accredited Specialist, Ramsden Family Law
Speak to Ramsden Family Law Today
If you are part of the LGBTIQA+ community and need advice on separation, property settlement, parenting arrangements or surrogacy, our team is here to help, without judgment and without needing your relationship explained to us first.
We have offices in Sydney, Brisbane, the Gold Coast and Melbourne. Contact us to book a confidential consultation and follow our involvement with Pride in Law as our 2026/27 sponsorship continues.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do same-sex couples have the same family law rights as opposite-sex couples in Australia?
Yes. Since the Marriage Act was amended in December 2017, married same-sex couples have identical rights under the Family Law Act 1975 to opposite-sex married couples, covering divorce, property settlement, spousal maintenance, and parenting arrangements. Same-sex couples in de facto relationships are covered under the same de facto framework as opposite-sex couples.
What counts as a de facto relationship for same-sex couples under Australian law?
A de facto relationship exists when two people, regardless of gender, have lived together on a genuine domestic basis, generally for at least two years, unless there is a child of the relationship or one partner has made significant contributions. Courts weigh factors such as shared finances, living arrangements and how the relationship was presented publicly.
Can Ramsden Family Law help with surrogacy and parentage matters for same-sex parents?
Yes. Our team advises same-sex couples and individuals on surrogacy arrangements, parentage orders and adoption pathways, so that legal parentage is properly recognised for both parents.
What happens with same-sex relationships that began before marriage equality became law?
Many same-sex couples were in committed relationships long before marriage equality passed in December 2017. Family law recognises a de facto relationship from the date it actually began, not the date of any later marriage, which can affect property settlement timelines and entitlements. This is an area where specialist advice matters.
How do I get legal advice about a same-sex separation, divorce or parenting matter?
You can book a confidential consultation with the Ramsden Family Law team. We act for same-sex couples across separation, divorce, parenting and property matters, with specialist experience in the issues unique to LGBTIQA+ families.
