Splitting Up the Money
Property after separation
You have separated, you both accept it is over, and you would rather divide the house, the super and the savings by agreement than pay two sets of lawyers to fight about it. One federal law and one federal court cover the whole country, married or de facto, so this is one national program — with a lawyer's check of the paperwork before anything is filed.
Draft for panel review. Group 1 only (Chapters 0–6). The legal points have not yet been verified by a panel law firm, and this title is not yet on sale.
If there is violence, threats, or a pattern of control in your relationship, this program is not for you and a kitchen-table negotiation is not safe. If you are in danger, call 000. For support any time, call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732.
What is in Group 1
- How to use the guide and set up the file
- The first fortnight after separation, and the date that starts the clocks
- Protecting yourself and your estate: will, powers of attorney, super nomination
- The rules in plain terms, including the time limits that cannot be fixed
- Full and frank disclosure, and building the balance sheet
- An honest test of whether yours is a kitchen-table matter
The worked example
One family, the Careys of Sale, worked through every chapter: a 19-year marriage, two school-age children, a house, two super funds and a near two-to-one income gap.
Still to come
Group 2 (how a court would decide it, negotiating, getting help to agree, writing the deal down) and Group 3 (consent orders, carrying out the orders, the divorce, buying help by the task), with the document pack.