Family Law Reform Act 1969

1. Introductory Text

2. PART I Reduction of Age of Majority and Related Provisions

   1. 1. Reduction of age of majority from 21 to 18

   2. 2. Provisions relating to marriage

   3. 3. Provisions relating to wills and intestacy

   4. 4. Maintenance for children under Guardianship or Infants Acts to continue to age of 21

   5. 5. Modifications of other enactments relating to maintenance of children so as to preserve benefits up to age of 21

   6. 6. Maintenance for wards of court

   7. 7. Committal of wards of court to care of local authority and supervision of wards of court

   8. 8. Consent by persons over 16 to surgical, medical and dental treatment

   9. 9. Time at which a person attains a particular age

   10. 10. Modification of enactments relating to Duke of Cornwall and other children of Her Majesty

   11. 11. Repeal of certain enactments relating to minors

   12. 12. Persons under full age may be described as minors instead of infants

   13. 13. Powers of Parliament of Northern Ireland

3. PART II Property Rights of Illegitimate Children

   1. 14. Right of illegitimate child to succeed on intestacy of parents, and of parents to succeed on intestacy f illegitimate child

   2. 15. Presumption that in dispositions of property references to children and other relatives include references to, and to persons related through, illegitimate children

   3. 16. Meaning of "child " and " issue " in s. 33 of Wills Act 1837

   4. 17. Protection of trustees and personal representatives

   5. 18. Illegitimate children to count as dependants under Inheritance (Family Provision) Act 1938

   6. 19. Policies of assurance and property in industrial and provident societies

4. PART III Provisions for use of Blood Tests in determining Paternity

   1. 20. Power of court to require use of blood tests

   2. 21. Consents, etc., required for taking of blood samples

   3. 22. Power to provide for manner of giving effect to direction for use of blood tests

   4. 23. Failure to comply with direction for taking blood tests

   5. 24. Penalty for personating another, etc., for purpose of providing blood sample

   6. 25. Interpretation of Part III

5. PART IV Miscellaneous and General

   1. 26. Rebuttal of presumption as to legitimacy and illegitimacy

   2. 27. Entry of father's name on registration of birth of illegitimate child

   3. 28. Short title, interpretation, commencement and extent

6. SCHEDULES

   1. SCHEDULE 1

      Statutory Provisions Amended by Substituting 18 for 21 years

      1. PART I Enactments

      2. PART II Rules, Regulations etc.

   2. SCHEDULE 2

      Statutory Provisions Unaffected by Section 1

      1. 1. The Regency Acts 1937 to 1953.

      2. 2. The Representation of the People Acts (and any regulations, rules...

      3. 3. Any statutory provision relating to income tax (including surtax) capital...

   3. SCHEDULE 3

      Transitional Provisions and Savings

      1. Interpretation

         1. 1. (1) In this Schedule " the principal section " means...

      2. Funds in court

         1. 2. Any order or directions in force immediately before the commencement...

      3. Wardship and custody orders

         1. 3. (1) Any order in force immediately before the commencement date—...

      4. Adoption orders

         1. 4. The principal section shall not prevent the making of an...

      5. Power of trustees to apply income for maintenance of minor

         1. 5. (1) The principal section shall not affect section 31 of...

      6. Personal representatives' powers during minority of beneficiary

         1. 6. The principal section shall not affect the meaning of "minority"...

      7. Accumulation periods

         1. 7. The change, by virtue of the principal section, in the...

      8. Limitation of actions

         1. 8. The change, by virtue of the principal section, in the...

      9. Statutory provisions incorporated in deeds, wills, etc.

         1. 9. The principal section shall not affect the construction of any...