The New Zealand Law Society established a family law committee in 1987 to advise it on matters relating to family law and the Family Court. In 1996, the committee put a proposal to the Law Society to establish a Family Law Section (FLS) to raise the profile of family law within the profession and to recognise the advancements for family lawyers.

The FLS, the first ever section of the Law Society, was established in December 1997 to recognise the special interests of family lawyers and the growing importance of family law in New Zealand. The Law Society saw the establishment of the FLS as an important development that would provide an opportunity for a greater flow of information about family law issues amongst its members who would be able to be directly involved in FLS activities.

At the end of its first year, the FLS had 250 family lawyers as members. Today the FLS has approximately 1,550 members, who are family law practitioners, judges, legal academics, legal executives and government employees from all over New Zealand.