Whether you need a divorce lawyer in Sydney for a straightforward application or support through a more complex separation, these are the areas we’re asked about most.
Whether you're applying alone or jointly, our team acts as your separation lawyer in Sydney from the first conversation, preparing and filing your application correctly the first time.
How living arrangements, schooling and day-to-day care are decided while your parenting matter is still being worked through.
What happens to the family home, joint debts and superannuation before a formal settlement is reached.
Advice for de facto and same-sex relationship breakdowns, which follow a different legal pathway to married divorce.
The evidence and documentation you'll need if you're separated but still living in the same home.
Jurisdictional advice when you or your former partner live interstate or overseas.
Technically, no. A divorce application is a form lodged with the Federal Circuit and Family Court, and you’re free to complete it yourself. Where things get complicated is everything sitting around it: parenting arrangements, property division, and making sure the application doesn’t undercut your broader position.
We regularly meet clients who filed their own application and only came to see a divorce lawyer in Sydney once a dispute over children or assets had already flared up. By then, some of their options had narrowed. Getting advice before you file, even a single consultation, means the divorce is handled as part of the bigger picture, not an isolated form.
If your matter is genuinely simple, like no children, assets already divided, or no dispute, you may only need us to check your paperwork before you submit it. As a divorce lawyer in Sydney, we’re upfront about where legal help changes your outcome, and where it honestly doesn’t.
The Family Law Act treats married and de facto couples differently, and as your family divorce lawyer, we’ll tell you exactly which timeframes apply to you.
Married couples — You must be separated for 12 months and one day before applying for divorce. Property claims generally must be made within 12 months of the divorce becoming final.
De facto couples — There’s no divorce to apply for. Your separation date is simply the date the relationship ended, and property claims generally must be made within 2 years of that date.
Same-sex relationships — Same-sex couples, married or de facto, have identical rights and obligations under the Family Law Act.
Mixed or unclear status — If it’s genuinely unclear whether your relationship was de facto, the date it began and ended can significantly affect your position. This is often where disputes start.
Separation begins the moment one or both of you decide the relationship is over and communicate that decision. No paperwork is required to separate.
During the separation period, you can start resolving parenting, property and financial matters. You don't need to wait for the divorce to be finalised.
After 12 months and one day of separation, either of you can apply for divorce. If you have children under 18, the court must be satisfied proper arrangements are in place.
A divorce order generally takes effect one month and one day after the hearing. From that point, you're legally free to remarry.
At least 12 months and one day. If you reconcile for more than three months during that period, the clock resets.
