Separation advice in Victoria.

Separation in Australia is a factual question, not a legal process. You do not file anything to separate. What matters is the date you stopped living together as a couple, because that date starts the clock on de facto property claims, on the twelve months you must be separated before applying for divorce, and on how the asset pool is assessed.

The practical questions come first. Who stays in the house. Who pays the mortgage and the school fees in the meantime. Whether joint accounts and redraw facilities should be secured. What happens to the children during the week. Whether Centrelink, child support or a family violence issue needs attention immediately.

Getting these settled sensibly and early does two things. It reduces conflict while emotions are highest, and it avoids the handful of steps, such as emptying an offset account, changing the locks, or unilaterally moving children interstate, that turn a matter capable of being negotiated into a litigated one.

You can be separated while still living under one roof. If that is your situation, keep a simple record of the change in the relationship, such as separate rooms, finances, and how you present socially, because you may need to prove it later for a divorce application.