If you have received an inheritance late in the relationship or even after the relationship ends, but before your family law financial settlement, the inheritance is not automatically ‘excluded’ from the asset pool.

The pandemic, self-isolation, quarantine or lock down do not stop your Family Court matter progressing. So even though you may be cooped up at home, your obligation to provide relevant disclosure is an ongoing requirement.

If your partner or spouse will not move out of the home, and you cannot resolve this by way of dispute resolution, it is possible to seek an Order from the Court for occupation of the home to your partner or spouse’s exclusion.

Spousal maintenance or de facto partner maintenance is not automatic and there is no one size fits all calculation available.

If your relationship with your spouse or partner is in trouble, then you need to collate and check any documents you might have signed favouring that person during the relationship.

The duty of disclosure is onerous and can be, at times, overwhelming, especially for the party who has controlled or managed the finances throughout the marriage or relationship.

Arbitration is an alternative way to resolve property disputes outside of the family court.

When financial orders are made by the Family Court on a final basis, an individual can only apply to vary or set aside them under certain circumstances.

It is important to know the value of assets when making a decision about your financial settlement.

Separation is when one party tells the other that it is over. This can be done face to face or in writing. It does not have to be agreed.