When you hire a professional trade or service, you probably ask friends and family for recommendations. Easy, right?

But when you’re going through a separation, it’s not always so straightforward.
Perhaps no one close to you has been through a separation or they have a bad story about their own experience that you’d like to avoid. Or maybe you’re just not ready to share your situation.

That’s where The Separation Guide comes in. We aim to be your central hub of trusted information and connection throughout your separation, taking away the hard work of finding the right people.

The Separation Guide recognised that divorce is much more than just a legal issue, so we brought together a network of qualified experts across Australia to support you through all aspects of your separation.

Our Network includes Mediators, Family Lawyers, Financial Advisors, mortgage brokers, property valuers, divorce coaches and child support services, plus our in-house Separation Support consultants.

Our Ethical Charter outlines our commitment to cost transparency, open communication, de-escalation and Court as a last resort. We only recommend professionals who align with our values and choose to be part of our movement. All of our members sign our charter and share our commitment.

You can have the peace of mind that our Network Members will put your best interests first.

You can book directly with the professionals in our network through your Support Hub. It contains recommendations for all the services you might need for your unique situation. You can create a free personal Support Hub account by completing our 3-minute Q&A.

The Support Hub lets you book straight into your recommended provider’s calendar at a time that suits you. Your initial meeting booked through your Support Hub is free with each provider, so you can meet Network Members before you commit.

When you make an appointment through the booking link in your Support Hub, your provider can download your Q&A responses. You save time and hourly fees explaining your situation from scratch and repeating information over and over again with each new professional you speak to.

So when you’re ready to take the next step, head to your Support Hub and book with providers you can trust.

No. In fact, booking through The Separation Guide’s Support Hub  can save you money.

When you book through us, the professional you meet with can download your details from our system. Because you already shared some information with us by completing the Q&A, you don’t have to pay for your professional’s time going over those details again.

By using The Separation Guide’s educational resources, you can also save time and money by preparing for any paid meetings you book with your service professionals. The more prepared you are, the more you can get out of each meeting.

You’ll have a good idea of the basics and won’t need to spend time asking simple questions. You’ll be able to go deeper on your first meeting.

For most bookings, you don’t need to pay us anything. We are here to connect you to external professionals. They work with us, not for us.

Most of the bookings in our system are free initial chats with the professionals in our network. You then engage that professional directly for any further work you need them to do. If the session you are booking is a paid session, the costs are outlined in the booking description, and the professional will invoice you.

There are some exceptions.

• Our paid Guided Separation program, Separation Support sessions, and Do-it-yourself Separation Toolkit are products that we have developed and run in-house. You pay us for these services.
• For some non-legal or financial advice services, we collect payment from our members and forward the funds to the service providers on your behalf. Whether you book through us or directly, you pay the same price.
• For legal finance, we receive a 1% commission for connecting you with the provider, educating you, and simplifying your application process.

We are a social enterprise. We do not receive any government funding or grants for our work.

Our mission is to make divorce and separation simpler and less stressful and to help de-escalate, thereby reducing costs to Australians experiencing this complex life event.

When it comes to lawyers and financial advisors, it is against our values to charge a commission model, and it is also against regulations within those industries. For that reason, we charge an annual fixed membership fee for that provider to be connected to our network.

We only welcome members to our network whose values align with our mission. They all sign our Ethical Charter before they can be recommended to you.

Divorce is the formal legal ending of a marriage.

Separation generally means living apart from each other but it is possible to be ‘separated under one roof’ if certain criteria are met.

If you are separated under the one roof, it is important to get legal advice.

Note: The granting of a divorce does not determine issues of financial support, property distribution or arrangements for children.

It simply recognises that the marriage has ended.

Your official date of separation can be counted as the date that your relationship broke irretrievably.

It doesn’t need to be a mutual decision that your relationship is over. Either person can instigate the separation.

There is no official way to determine the date of separation in Australia. However, there are a number of factors that can be taken into account, such as:

• The date you had the discussion about ending your relationship.
• The date on which you stopped living together (although you can be separated under one roof.)
• The date on which you stopped having sexual relations.
• The date you moved into different bedrooms.
• The date on which you started to see other people.

It is important to document the date of separation as much as possible. This can be done by keeping a diary, writing down significant events, and updating your contact details with government agencies.

If you are unsure of your official date of separation, you can speak to a family lawyer or mediator. They can help you to determine the date of separation and to protect your legal rights.

We all have legal rights to protect us when we confront challenging times like separation and/or divorce.

If you have a Lawyer, use them. But use them wisely to reduce cost. And to assist them and you, equip yourself with the right questions to ask them by clicking here and downloading the ‘Questions you need to ask your lawyer’ checklist.

If you require legal advice, speak to us and one of the members of our service network can assist.

While you do not need, by the letter of the law, to engage a lawyer for all stages of a separation or divorce it is vitally important to understand your legal rights.

Whether you’re married or in a de facto relationship, you have the same rights at family law.

In fact, the length of the relationship will have more bearing on any financial outcomes than whether you’re married or not.

It can however be more challenging to establish when a de facto relationship started and ended — which can have financial implications.

By the letter of the law you do not need a Lawyer during all stages of a separation or divorce.

But you must understand both your legal rights and how to navigate the maze.

And depending on the nature of your settlement you may need independent verification of the fairness and equity of your settlement – something which The Separation Guide can organise.

To find out your recommended next steps, complete our 3-minute Q&A. Based on your recommended next steps, The Separation Guide can connect you with the right people.

If your separation is fair and equitable and on good terms, then both parties could engage a qualified professional to guide or mediate the separation.

This takes you down a more pleasant path. No need for long expensive Court battles, less cost, less angst and easier for everyone.

Through our Network Members The Separation Guide will connect you with the right services for your situation.

One approach is a Guided Separation. This involves a legally-qualified Mediator helping you both make the arrangements you choose.

If the separation is not on good terms then both parties having their own independent legal representation is advisable. This can also be organised by The Separation Guide.

Mindful that if a person wants to apply to the Court for an order in relation to a child they will need to obtain a certificate from the FDR practitioner before applying, unless an exception applies.

That means in these types of matters dispute resolution is compulsory as required by the Australian Government.

So, whether you are involved in a Guided Separation or engage independent Lawyers depends on the nature of the separation.

There is no right or wrong path, it depends on the circumstances you are in.

Sometimes there has to be a legal confrontation in order for a party to assert its legal rights – this tends to be the case where there has been a power imbalance in the relationship or where there is a lack of trust.

You’re bound to have lots of questions about how the legal process works and what your outcome might look like.

Questions for a Lawyer can include:

• How will my contributions from the relationships be considered?
• What do my partner and I have to disclose to each other?
• Am I entitled to payments from my partner in the future and for how long?
• How does the law make decisions about custody of the children?

Once you have been separated for 12 months or more you are ready to submit your divorce to the Courts.

A Lawyer or Mediator can help you with this process. If you need to be connected with a legal professional, simply get in touch.

The Family Law Act states:

• You must make a genuine effort to resolve your disputes through ‘dispute resolution’ before you can apply to the Courts for divorce;
• You can apply for a divorce in Australia if either you or your spouse:
  • are an Australian citizen; or
  • ordinarily live in Australia and have done so for 12 months
  • When granting a divorce, the Court does not consider why the marriage ended;
  • The only ground for divorce is that the marriage broke down and there is no reasonable likelihood that the parties will get back together.
  • You need to satisfy the Court that you and your spouse have lived separately and apart for at least 12 months, and there is no reasonable likelihood of resuming married life.
  • The granting of a divorce does not determine issues of financial support, property distribution or arrangements for children. It simply recognises that the marriage has ended.
  • It is possible to live together in the same home and still be separated.

Unfortunately, there is no such thing as a quick divorce in Australia.

Divorce or separation is a legal process governed by the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia (FCFCOA) as well as federal and state-specific legislation. There is no “quick” way to skip the steps involved in obtaining a divorce. However, the due processes can be a lot less time-consuming or expensive if you find an appropriate pathway and professional service providers that can support you along the journey.

In special circumstances, the Court may also agree or expedite certain processes, such as delay between the hearing and the issuance of the decree.

Mediation to resolve disputes in property and parenting matters is recommended as a first option for most separating couples. In fact, mediation is compulsory in parenting matters, with limited exceptions, before court proceedings.

However, there are times when mediation is not appropriate in cases when there is a legal reason for a Court appearance. According to the Family Circuit and Family Court of Australia, the following conditions may mean you’re not required to undertake mediation:

• in an application for parenting orders, if there are allegations of child abuse or family violence or a risk of child abuse or family violence
• in an application for financial orders, if there are allegations of family violence or a risk of family violence
• for urgent applications
• if you would be unduly prejudiced if you were to complete mediation
• if one of you has filed a previous family law application in the last 12 months
• if you’re applying for divorce only
• if the proceeding is a child support application or appeal
• if the proceeding involves a court’s jurisdiction in bankruptcy under section 35 or 35B of the Bankruptcy Act 1966.

We’re growing a network of advisors across Australia.

Everyone shares a common purpose: trying to get people through the separation maze as quickly and cost-effectively as possible.

We’re looking for the following professionals across Australia:

• Mediators
• Lawyers
• Relationship counsellors
• Psychologists (including child psychologists)
• Accountants
• Immigration advisors
• Property consultants
• Financial advisors

If that sounds like you or your practice, please get in touch.

If you share our values — and have a family law practice, accounting firm, financial services practice or psychology practice — we’d like to hear from you.

Simply get in touch to start the ball rolling.

All Network Members sign our Ethical Charter. This means they commit to certain principles such as Court as a last resort and fee transparency.