Family Law Principles is different from other family law texts written in Australia because it covers areas that are important in practice, such as family law reports, how courts consider social science research, and emerging areas in family law. It also takes a practical approach to practice and procedure, systematically dealing with the types of applications before courts, providing analytical guidelines, checklists and summaries of key components.

This third edition is a comprehensive consolidation of the second. It builds on the structural approach of the second, combining key areas for clarity and accessibility. This edition brings a thorough examination of recent developments in the law, including examining the court's approach to COVID-19 issues in the context of the unacceptable risk test. Like the second, this edition covers the family dispute resolution system and legislative obligations of both lawyers and family dispute resolution practitioners. It traverses the vexed issue of family law ethics, highlighting critical aspects of the best practice guidelines for family lawyers, independent children's lawyers and family report writers. It provides a unique framework to assist practitioners in resolving ethical dilemmas.