Do you need help with your separation or divorce? Are you wondering what to do or who to speak to to get the ball rolling?
Ian Shann from Move On Mediation in Perth has put together 9 free divorce resources in Australia to help you get started with your divorce process.
Federal Circuit & Family Court Of Australia
The Federal Circuit & Family Court of Australia is perhaps the best place to start. Offering an overview of the legal divorce process in Australia. It is a very informative site, providing a step-by-step guide on applying for a divorce that covers almost all situations and a list of documents and legal requirements.
It outlines the various divorce options. Including how to apply for the relevant court orders and what one can expect to face during the various procedures. It also has several links to other family advice services and allows the download of different application forms relevant to the various cases.
Be aware that this service applies in all States of Australia except Western Australia, where the relevant site is the Family Court of Western Australia.
Family Relationship Advice Line
The Family Relationship Advice Line is a national telephone service that offers advice and instant assistance to anyone with relationship or separation issues of any kind. It allows parents, grandparents, children, other family members or friends to call to obtain advice and information on family matters or the family law system. Callers may remain anonymous.
The Family Relationship Advice Line can also refer callers to various local services to provide the appropriate assistance that may be needed for all situations, such as child, drug and alcohol abuse, mental health issues, family violence, etc. There’s also a separate line to call them from overseas.
Legal Aid
Legal Aid offers the community low-cost or free legal services, providing advice and information on all civil, criminal and family law matters. Having over 300 lawyers and support staff at their disposal at nine offices covering Perth and WA, they are the largest legal aid service providers in Western Australia.
Although their services stretch far and wide and cover most legal issues, they can refer you to the appropriate service provider if they cannot advise or offer information relevant to your specific problem.
Men’s Legal Service
Striving to address the high numbers of unrepresented parents appearing in family law matters, the Men’s Legal Service provides essential low-cost services to men, especially fathers wishing to maintain an active role in their children’s lives.
The service can help with family matters such as domestic violence, making parenting arrangements, offering counselling, arranging family dispute resolution or mediation and have a 24-hour suicide prevention and crisis lifeline.
Divorce Resource
Providing invaluable information and a range of free resources, family mediation services and divorce coaching, Divorce Resource help people save money and be better prepared for their divorce.
Frequent blogs and articles explain the divorce process and various matters, such as finding a lawyer, reaching a property settlement, serving divorce papers, and making parenting and custody arrangements.
They also provide valuable links to other service providers for emergencies and family law issues.
Family Court WA
The website for the Family Court WA offers a comprehensive guide to the legal system of Western Australia. It provides an in-depth guide to all the stages of the divorce process, helping one to understand and prepare or defend an application for a divorce to the minutest detail.
Not only does it offer legal advice and simple information videos, but it also allows one to download the various forms and links to helpful community resource centres, family law legislation, and everything one needs to know regarding parenting, property and making financial arrangements.
Beanstalk Mums
Beanstalk Mums is a wonderful and inspirational source of information aimed at helping single mums in Australia navigate through their divorce. The website is packed with tons of information and tips on virtually every topic under the sun, from understanding family law and avoiding common mistakes many mums make to highly emotional issues single mums face every day while bringing up their children.
It provides a step-by-step guide on what to do when separating, dealing with a high-conflict separation, and covering post-separation issues on health, self-care, saving money, dating and more.
Relationships Australia
This non-profit organization provides excellent relationship support services to families, vulnerable individuals and communities across Australia. They include training workshops and counselling for families, separating couples, employees in the workplace and disabled or neglected individuals, young and old, suffering the effects of violence, gambling, drug and alcohol abuse or any mental health condition.
Having over 2,400 staff in 106 locations, including 39 remote locations across every state, Relationships Australia offers an invaluable service to people of all walks of life, helping them to improve their wellbeing and their relationships with their families and communities.
Drawing from their own experiences and research carried out over 70 years across the country, as well as regular surveys and formal studies, they make a considerable contribution to public policy in Australia.
The Separation Guide
Established in 2019, The Separation Guide has one purpose – to help make separation simpler, more manageable, less costly and less stressful. Since then, it has helped over 320,000 people do precisely that.
Their Q&A is a good starting point, helping them to understand your unique situation. Upon completion, they will suggest what steps to take and put you in touch with a selected range of resources suitable to your circumstances. These may include family lawyers, mediators, financial advisors, psychologists and counsellors. They will provide the relevant information on the various options guiding you through your separation and seeing the Court only as a last resort.
Their site is packed with helpful information, videos, podcasts, books and blogs covering numerous topics you’ll likely encounter during and after your separation.
I hope you’ve found this list of free divorce resources in Australia useful to help guide you in your separation and the divorce process. Once you get the ball rolling, you can start planning for your life after divorce, too!
