Family Law (Divorce) Act, 1996
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Interpretation. |
2.—(1) In this Act, save where the context otherwise requires— | |
“the Act of 1964” means the Guardianship of Infants Act, 1964 ; | ||
“the Act of 1965” means the Succession Act, 1965 ; | ||
“the Act of 1976” means the Family Law (Maintenance of Spouses and Children) Act, 1976 ; | ||
“the Act of 1989” means the Judicial Separation and Family Law Reform Act, 1989 ; | ||
“the Act of 1995” means the Family Law Act, 1995 ; | ||
“the Act of 1996” means the Domestic Violence Act, 1996 ; | ||
“conveyance” includes a mortgage, lease, assent, transfer, disclaimer, release and any other disposition of property otherwise than by a will or a donatio mortis causa and also includes an enforceable agreement (whether conditional or unconditional) to make any such disposition; | ||
“the court” shall be construed in accordance with section 38 ; | ||
“decree of divorce” means a decree under section 5 ; | ||
“decree of judicial separation” means a decree under section 3 of the Act of 1989; | ||
“decree of nullity” means a decree granted by a court declaring a marriage to be null and void; | ||
“dependent member of the family”, in relation to a spouse, or the spouses, concerned, means any child— | ||
(a) of both spouses or adopted by both spouses under the Adoption Acts, 1952 to 1991, or in relation to whom both spouses are in loco parentis, or | ||
(b) of either spouse or adopted by either spouse under those Acts, or in relation to whom either spouse is in loco parentis, where the other spouse, being aware that he or she is not the parent of the child, has treated the child as a member of the family, | ||
who is under the age of 18 years or if the child has attained that age— | ||
(i) is or will be or, if an order were made under this Act providing for periodical payments for the benefit of the child or for the provision of a lump sum for the child, would be receiving full-time education or instruction at any university, college, school or other educational establishment and is under the age of 23 years, or | ||
(ii) has a mental or physical disability to such extent that it is not reasonably possible for the child to maintain himself or herself fully; | ||
“family home” has the meaning assigned to it by section 2 of the Family Home Protection Act, 1976 , with the modification that the references to a spouse in that section shall be construed as references to a spouse within the meaning of this Act; | ||
“financial compensation order” has the meaning assigned to it by section 16 ; | ||
“Land Registry” and “Registry of Deeds” have the meanings assigned to them by the Registration of Title Act, 1964 ; | ||
“lump sum order” means an order under section 13 (1) (c); | ||
“maintenance pending suit order” means an order under section 12 ; | ||
“member”, in relation to a pension scheme, means any person who, having been admitted to membership of the scheme under its rules, remains entitled to any benefit under the scheme; | ||
“pension adjustment order” means an order under section 17 ; | ||
“pension scheme” means— | ||
(a) an occupational pension scheme (within the meaning of the Pensions Act, 1990 ), or | ||
(b) (i) an annuity contract approved by the Revenue Commissioners under section 235 of the Income Tax Act, 1967 , or a contract so approved under section 235A of that Act, | ||
(ii) a trust scheme, or part of a trust scheme, so approved under subsection (4) of the said section 235 or subsection (5) of the said section 235A, or | ||
(iii) a policy or contract of assurance approved by the Revenue Commissioners under Chapter II of Part I of the Finance Act, 1972 , | ||
or | ||
(c) any other scheme or arrangement (including a personal pension plan and a scheme or arrangement established by or pursuant to statute or instrument made under statute other than under the Social Welfare Acts) that provides or is intended to provide either or both of the following, that is to say: | ||
(i) benefits for a person who is a member of the scheme or arrangement (“the member”) upon retirement at normal pensionable age or upon earlier or later retirement or upon leaving, or upon the ceasing of, the relevant employment, | ||
(ii) benefits for the widow, widower or dependants of the member, or for any other persons, on the death of the member; | ||
“periodical payments order” and “secured periodical payments order” have the meanings assigned to them by section 13 ; | ||
“property adjustment order” has the meaning assigned to it by section 14 ; | ||
“trustees”, in relation to a scheme that is established under a trust, means the trustees of the scheme and, in relation to a pension scheme not so established, means the persons who administer the scheme. | ||
(2) In this Act, where the context so requires— | ||
(a) a reference to a marriage includes a reference to a marriage that has been dissolved under this Act, | ||
(b) a reference to a remarriage includes a reference to a marriage that takes place after a marriage that has been dissolved under this Act, | ||
(c) a reference to a spouse includes a reference to a person who is a party to a marriage that has been dissolved under this Act, | ||
(d) a reference to a family includes a reference to a family as respects which the marriage of the spouses concerned has been dissolved under this Act, | ||
(e) a reference to an application to a court by a person on behalf of a dependent member of the family includes a reference to such an application by such a member and a reference to a payment, the securing of a payment, or the assignment of an interest, to a person for the benefit of a dependent member of the family includes a reference to a payment, the securing of a payment, or the assignment of an interest, to such a member, | ||
and cognate words shall be construed accordingly. | ||
(3) In this Act— | ||
(a) a reference to any enactment shall, unless the context otherwise requires, be construed as a reference to that enactment as amended or extended by or under any subsequent enactment including this Act, | ||
(b) a reference to a Part or section is a reference to a Part or section of this Act unless it is indicated that reference to some other enactment is intended, | ||
(c) a reference to a subsection, paragraph, subparagraph or clause is a reference to the subsection, paragraph, subparagraph or clause of the provision in which the reference occurs unless it is indicated that reference to some other provision is intended. |