The Family Courts Act 1980 is a New Zealand law covering family courts, which have jurisdiction over marriage, civil unions, divorce, custody of children, child support and wills.

Family courts were among the first in New Zealand to focus on informality; neither judges nor lawyers may wear wigs and gowns are banned for lawyers and optional for judges.

The Act is notable for Section 11B, which amounts to a default blanket ban on reporting of most of the business of the court when children are involved.

Stories that are reported often have details such as the gender of children omitted.

[2][3] Most of the acts the family courts have jurisdiction over have been updated to include same-sex partners.