Practice area · Divorce
The legal end of the marriage.
The divorce order itself is the simplest part. But it has its own twelve-month clock, sole-vs-joint application choices, and time-bars after the order that ruin property and parenting matters for the men who didn't realise they'd started running.
What you'll hear from most lawyers
“Divorce is a straightforward administrative process.”
Translation:
Yes, and also no. The order itself is administrative. The strategic choice of when to lodge it, who lodges, and what's already filed first determines whether you keep your settlement options open or accidentally close them.
We don't lodge divorce in isolation. We lodge it inside a written settlement and parenting strategy, because the day the order is made, the property clock starts ticking.
What to expect
The first ninety days, mapped.
No tactical surprises. No “we'll see how it goes”. Here's the actual sequence.
01
Day 0
Sequence audit
Where are we with property, parenting, financial agreements? Lodge the divorce too early and the twelve-month property time-bar starts before you're ready.
02
Weeks 1–4
Application
Sole or joint, service if sole, the right form. Most divorces are uncontested; sequencing is the actual game.
03
Months 4–6
Hearing or order
Usually a paperwork-only hearing. If your matter has children under eighteen, we prepare the section 55A care-arrangements declaration carefully.
04
Order date onwards
Post-order clock
For married couples, twelve months from the divorce order to file property and spousal-maintenance proceedings. (For de facto separations, the clock is two years from the date of separation. Different rule, same urgency.) We diary it; we don't trust you to remember it. Most men forget.
“Surprises are for birthdays, not court.”
Common questions
What men actually ask me in the first call.
It can, but you need contemporaneous evidence of separated lives. Separate rooms isn't enough on its own. We talk you through what counts before you make the decision.
Sometimes there's a tactical reason. Usually it doesn't matter. The matter that matters is whether your property and parenting matters are sequenced behind it correctly.
For property: maybe. The court can extend in limited circumstances. Bring the application date today; we'll tell you within an hour where you stand.
Yes, once the divorce order takes effect (one month and one day after the order is made). The legal end is clean. The financial end may not be.
Right now is hard. If you're not okay:
24/7 · Free, confidential support · Immediate danger, call 000
Get the sequence right and the divorce is the easy part. Get it wrong and it's the most expensive paperwork you'll sign.
A sixty-minute strategy session. Written plan, fixed quote. No retainer until you're ready.
Book a strategy call