For Australians going through divorce and separation, there are plenty of advantages of living in the ‘Information Age’. Now it is easier than ever before to access the court forms and other material you may need.
This makes it possible to do more on your own, so you may save money on legal costs. There are also plenty of disadvantages, however, the most significant of which is the amount of misinformation readily available in the digital world. If you’re getting divorced or separated, following the wrong legal advice – be it from the Internet or even friends, family and workmates – can be costly, especially when you’re trying to figure out who gets what in a settlement. Here’s what you should know.
The first and most important thing to understand is that every case is different. Essentially this means that regardless of what you may have heard, read online or seen on television and films, everything is not always ‘split down the middle’. It also means there is no real basis for the belief that women always benefit from the property settlement, or that you must go to Court in order to get one. It is true that courts must approve related orders, but they actually intervene in only a small percentage of cases.
Having said that, there is a proven method that is used to ensure that couples going through separation and divorce arrive at fair settlements. It consists of four steps, which we will discuss in detail.
To begin with, you should prepare a comprehensive list of assets and liabilities that will be shared with the other person. By law, each of you must fully disclose all of your assets and liabilities. This means you should be sure to include everything, irrespective of whether the asset or liability is in one person’s name, both of your names, or held by one of you and a third party. Although it is technically considered a different type of property, don’t forget to include your individual or joint superannuation interests on a separate list at this point.
The second step is a little bit trickier because it involves the identification and valuation or assessment of each person’s contributions to the marriage. Contrary to popular belief, this evaluation is not strictly limited to each of your financial contributions. Non-financial contributions, such as home improvements or those you made as a stay-at-home mum are assessed as well. Furthermore, ‘indirect’ contributions to the household – or those made by your relatives – are also considered. Each contribution is then assigned a percentage on a scale specifically created for this purpose.
At the next stage, another set of factors is assessed. These include but are not limited to each person’s health, each person’s ability to make a living, how many kids you have, how old they are, who will have primary custody and the extent to which your ex-spouse will be involved in their lives. Another key factor that will be considered at this stage is whether or not any of your children require special care. If warranted at this point, the determination made in the previous step may be changed.
Finally, in the fourth step, the court takes one more objective look at the division of property to see if the outcome reached through this process is fair and reasonable to everyone involved. This final determination is based on all circumstances of the case. Although the court can make additional changes at this time, it will seldom do so.
The bottom line is that the decision to end a relationship is seldom easy. The prospect of separation and divorce can be intimidating and overwhelming, even when a wealth of information is so readily available. The best way to safeguard your interests and secure a fair outcome for everyone involved is to work with experienced Gold Coast family lawyers. If you are considering separation and have questions or concerns about the process for reaching a settlement, contact our Gold Coast Lawyers today.