Rebuild your financial life after separation.
Asset splits, super splitting, child support, mortgage restructure, and a new long-term plan that works on one income. We sit alongside Australians during separation and divorce — calmly, without sides — and help you walk out the other side with a financial future that still holds together.
Independent financial advice for Australians navigating separation and divorce. We work with — not against — your family lawyer.
Get the numbers right before the settlement is signed.
Separation and divorce are emotionally hard and financially complex at the same time. The settlement you sign in month six often determines the next twenty years — and most people negotiate it without ever seeing the long-term financial picture clearly.
We sit with you before, during, or after settlement. We model what each proposed split actually means for your income, retirement, and lifestyle ten years on. We work with your family lawyer, not against them, and we never take sides between former partners — we represent the financial picture, not the relationship.
Whether you're considering separation, mid-mediation, or already finalised, the right advice now can be the difference between a clean restart and a long quiet financial drag.
Six places the settlement quietly shapes the next decade.
These are the six issues we see most often. They're rarely raised by lawyers because they sit on the financial side of the table.
Super splitting done without modelling
A 50/50 super split sounds fair until you model retirement income at age 67 with one party further from preservation. The right split is the one that produces a fair retirement, not the one that's easiest to explain.
The home is treated as one asset
Keeping the house often locks one party into an asset they can't service. We model the keep-vs-sell decision honestly — including stamp duty on a future move and capacity to refinance.
Insurance is forgotten until it matters
Joint policies, employer cover that drops, beneficiary nominations, and TPD/income protection that's no longer fit for purpose — usually overlooked in the rush to settle.
Centrelink and FTB eligibility shift
Family Tax Benefit, Parenting Payment, JobSeeker, and child support each interact. Done well, the post-separation household qualifies for support that pre-separation it didn't.
Wills and estate documents stay stale
Wills, enduring powers of attorney, and binding super beneficiaries usually still name the former partner. Most people forget until something forces the issue.
No new long-term plan
The biggest mistake is treating the settlement as the end. The settlement is the start — a new plan needs to be built around the household you actually have now.
Six steps to a clean financial restart.
We've walked this process with clients pre-separation, mid-mediation, and post-settlement. The earlier we're brought in, the more options remain open.
- 01
Map your full financial position
Income, super, assets, debts, business interests, insurance, and goals. Both pre- and post-separation pictures so you understand the financial reality before negotiating.
- 02
Model the proposed settlement
We model each proposed split — house, super, investments, debts — out to ten years. The 'fair on paper' option is rarely the same as the 'fair in real life' option.
- 03
Coordinate with your family lawyer
We work alongside your family lawyer, supplying the financial modelling they don't typically do, so the legal settlement reflects the real long-term outcome.
- 04
Restructure your household cash flow
A new household budget, mortgage strategy, debt structure, and savings plan that works on the income and assets you actually have post-separation.
- 05
Refresh insurance, estate, and super
New beneficiary nominations, updated wills, fresh enduring powers of attorney, and insurance cover sized to the household you now have.
- 06
Build the new long-term plan
Retirement plan, wealth plan, education funding for the children, and a clear next decade. The plan that gets you back on track — and keeps you there.
Get the financial numbers clear before you sign anything.
A 30-minute confidential call to map your position, model the long-term impact of any proposed split, and give you a written next-step plan. No commission, no judgement.
- Understand the full financial picture
- Model the long-term impact of proposed splits
- Coordinate with your family lawyer
- Plan the new household cash flow
- Walk away with a written next-step plan
We respond within three business hours. Confidential, sensitive, and entirely independent.
Five separation moments where advice matters most.
Most clients reach us at one of these five points. The earlier we're brought in, the more options remain on the table.
- 01
You're considering separation
What you're facing — You're seriously considering separating but want to understand the financial picture before making any move.
How we help — We model your current financial position and the most likely separated-household scenarios so you know what's at stake before any conversation happens.
- 02
You're in mediation or pre-settlement
What you're facing — You're in active mediation and want to understand whether the proposed split is genuinely fair over the long term.
How we help — We model the proposed settlement out to ten years, work with your family lawyer, and surface the issues a legal-only review would miss.
- 03
Your settlement was signed recently
What you're facing — Settlement is final and you need to actually live on the assets and income you walked out with — without a clear plan.
How we help — We rebuild the household plan from scratch — cash flow, debt, super, insurance, and a long-term wealth plan that fits the new reality.
- 04
You're a business owner separating
What you're facing — Part of the asset pool is the business or your share of it, and the valuation, payout structure, and ongoing operation all need to be solved.
How we help — We coordinate with your accountant and lawyer on valuation, structure the asset split to minimise tax and disruption, and protect the business's ongoing viability.
- 05
You're approaching retirement
What you're facing — You're mid-fifties or later and a late-life separation has reshaped what retirement now looks like.
How we help — We rebuild the retirement plan — super splitting, age-pension eligibility, downsizer contributions, and lifestyle expectations — so the next chapter still works.
Real people. Real plans.
Ben Venter
Partner & Senior AdviserBen has been in financial planning since 2008, with over 15 years guiding families and individuals through real-life decisions. He's passionate about helping clients make informed choices that line up with what actually matters to them. Off the clock, you'll find Ben at the local footy club where his kids play, supporting Kings Christian College fundraisers for overseas missions, or out playing football, cricket, golf, or the odd game of squash.
Featured Expertise- Holistic Financial Planning
- Retirement Planning
- Tax Planning & Structuring
- Investment Strategy
- Superannuation & SMSF
- Wealth Management
- Family & Intergenerational Planning
Frequently asked questions about separation and divorce advice.
Quick answers to the questions we hear most. If yours isn't here, we'll cover it on the call.
Yes — they do different jobs. The lawyer handles the legal settlement; the adviser handles the long-term financial reality of that settlement. The two roles are complementary, and the best outcomes happen when both are involved.
Super can be split between former partners under a court order or binding agreement. The split is recognised by the super fund and treated separately for tax. The fair split rarely matches the asset-pool split — it depends on age, preservation, and earning capacity.
It depends on your serviceability, the long-term cost (rates, maintenance, refinance), and whether keeping the home blocks you from rebuilding investments and super. We model both options so the decision isn't emotional.
Services Australia administers the formula based on both parents' incomes, care arrangements, and the children's ages. It's not negotiated through the lawyer in most cases. We model the household income with and without child support so the post-separation plan is realistic.
Single-parent households often qualify for Family Tax Benefit, Parenting Payment, and other supports they didn't before. Eligibility is income-tested and depends on the post-settlement household. We confirm what's available and how it interacts with child support.
Yes — usually urgently. Most wills, enduring powers of attorney, and binding super beneficiary nominations still name the former partner immediately after separation. We coordinate the update with your solicitor so nothing is left exposed.
No. We represent the financial picture and work in the interest of the client who engaged us. We will not provide advice that's deceptive to the other party, and we will work openly with their adviser if they have one.
Completely. Anything you share with us stays between you and our adviser unless you authorise us to share it. The first call is judgement-free and on your terms.
Walk into your next chapter with clarity.
Get a written separation plan that covers cash flow, super, insurance, estate, and the next decade — built around the household you have now.