4Interpretation

### 4 Interpretation > In this Act, unless the contrary intention appears – > > > ***accredited counsellor*** means a person accredited under [section 47](#GS47@EN) ; > > > [*\[Section 4 Amended by No. 38 of 2015, s. 53, Applied:13 Oct 2015\]*](/view/html/inforce/2015-10-13/act-2015-038#GS53@EN) ***approved form*** means a form approved by the Chief Magistrate; > > > ***birth mother*** – see [section 5](#GS5@EN) ; > > > ***birth mother's spouse*** – see [section 6](#GS6@EN) ; > > > ***birth mother's surrogacy costs*** – see [section 9](#GS9@EN) ; > > > ***birth parent*** – see [section 6](#GS6@EN) ; > > > ***child*** means a child born, or to be born, as a result of a surrogacy arrangement, and includes, where the context requires, an adult who is born as a result of a surrogacy arrangement; > > > ***consent*** means informed consent freely and voluntarily given by a person with the capacity to give the consent; > > > ***corresponding law*** means a law, of another State or a Territory, that corresponds to this Act and includes a prescribed law of another State or a Territory; > > > ***corresponding order*** means an order that is – > > > > > > (a) a member of a prescribed class of orders; or > > > > > > > (b) in the opinion of the registrar, the equivalent, under a law of another State, a Territory or a foreign country, of a parentage order; > > > ***court*** means the Magistrates Court (Children's Division); > > > ***intended parent*** – see [section 5](#GS5@EN) ; > > > ***parentage order*** means a parentage order made under [section 16](#GS16@EN) or [section 22](#GS22@EN) ; > > > ***register*** means the Register maintained under [section 40 of the](/view/html/inforce/2026-04-12/act-1999-058#GS40@EN) [Births, Deaths and Marriages Registration Act 1999](/view/html/inforce/2026-04-12/act-1999-058) ; > > > ***registrar*** means the Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages appointed under the [Births, Deaths and Marriages Registration Act 1999](/view/html/inforce/2026-04-12/act-1999-058) ; > > > ***relationship status*** means the status of being, having been, or becoming, any of the following: > > > > > > (a) a husband or a wife; > > > > > > > (b) a party to a significant relationship within the meaning of [section 4 of the](/view/html/inforce/2026-04-12/act-2003-044#GS4@EN) [Relationships Act 2003](/view/html/inforce/2026-04-12/act-2003-044) ; > > > > > > > (c) a sexual partner of another person of either sex; > > > > > > > (d) unmarried, not a party to a significant relationship within the meaning of [section 4 of the](/view/html/inforce/2026-04-12/act-2003-044#GS4@EN) [Relationships Act 2003](/view/html/inforce/2026-04-12/act-2003-044) or not a sexual partner of another person of either sex; > > > ***relevant party***, in relation to a child, means – > > > > > > (a) the birth mother of the child; or > > > > > > > (b) the birth mother's spouse, if any; or > > > > > > > (c) the spouse, if any, of the birth mother of the child; or > > > > > > > (d) a birth parent, if any, of the child; or > > > > > > > (e) each of the intended parents of the child; > > > ***spouse***, in relation to a person, means – > > > > > > (a) the husband or wife of the person; or > > > > > > > (b) if the person is a party to a significant relationship within the meaning of [section 4 of the](/view/html/inforce/2026-04-12/act-2003-044#GS4@EN) [Relationships Act 2003](/view/html/inforce/2026-04-12/act-2003-044) , the other party to that relationship; > > > ***surrogacy arrangement*** – see [section 5](#GS5@EN) ; > > > ***surrogacy record*** means the surrogacy record established under [section 32](#GS32@EN) .