Family Law Reform Act 1969

The Family Law Reform Act 1969 (c. 46) is an act of Parliament amending various aspects of English family law. Amongst other provisions, the act lowered the age of majority from 21 years to 18 years, reformed the property rights of illegitimate children, and empowered civil courts to order blood tests to determine paternity.

Family Law Reform Act 1969

Act of Parliament
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Long title	An Act to amend the law relating to the age of majority, to persons who have not attained that age and to the time when a particular age is attained; to amend the law relating to the property rights of illegitimate children and of other persons whose relationship is traced through an illegitimate link; to make provision for the use of blood tests for the purpose of determining the paternity of any person in civil proceedings; to make provision with respect to the evidence required to rebut a presumption of legitimacy and illegitimacy; to make further provision, in connection with the registration of the birth of an illegitimate child, for entering the name of the father; and for connected purposes.
Citation	1969 c. 46
Territorial extent	England and Wales
Dates
Royal assent	25 July 1969
Commencement	25 July 1969
Other legislation
Amends	Tenures Abolition Act 1660
Status: Amended
Text of statute as originally enacted
Revised text of statute as amended
Text of the Family Law Reform Act 1969 as in force today (including any amendments) within the United Kingdom, from legislation.gov.uk.

The act, as it pertains to property rights, has been almost entirely repealed by the Family Law Reform Act 1987.

Content

Part I deals with the reduction of the age of majority in England and Wales from 21 to 18. Provides provision for the Parliament of Northern Ireland to enact similar legislation.

Part II, covering the property rights of illegitimate children, has been largely repealed by the Family Law Reform Act 1987. Paragraphs 1 and 3 of section 19 of the act, the sole provisions in part II that remain in force, extend rights of children under section 11 of the Married Women's Property Act 1882 and section 2 of the Married Women's Policies of Assurance (Scotland) Act 1880 to illegitimate children.

Part III provides the courts with the power to compel the taking of blood tests to determine paternity of a child.

Part IV, for miscellaneous and general provisions, allows for the rebuttal of legal presumptions of legitimacy or illegitimacy with evidence of probability that a person is legitimate or illegitimate.

References

 This article incorporates text published under the British Open Government Licence v3.0: