Written by
Johnnie Crawford
Housing
The ‘I can’t afford rent’ problem after separation
A housing triage guide for separated parents who cannot afford rent, covering survival numbers, bond help, rent assistance, emergency housing and first 48-hour actions.
05-Atlas framework
Separated under one roof: the legal and practical reality
What separated under one roof means in Australia, what evidence may matter, how to document the arrangement and how to keep the household functional while nothing feels clean.
06-Australia
Family Tax Benefit, Centrelink and parenting payment: what you can actually access
A plain-English guide to Family Tax Benefit, Parenting Payment, child support interactions and first Centrelink steps after separation in Australia.
05-Atlas framework
What matters now: the Atlas separation roadmap
A practical roadmap for separated Australian parents: what to do first, what can wait, and which Atlas tool or guide fits each phase.
Legal
The first lawyer appointment: how to use it without burning $600 an hour
Quick answer
Before your first family lawyer appointment, prepare:
1. a one-page summary
2. a timeline of key dates
3. your children’s current care pattern
4.
06-Australia
The plain-English glossary of separation terms
At some point in the first few weeks, someone sends you a letter — a lawyer, a mediator, Services Australia — and it's full of words that almost
03-Rebuild
Dating after separation: what nobody says out loud
There's plenty of content about whether you're emotionally ready to date after separation. You'll find a lot of it. This isn'
03-Rebuild
Building your finances back after separation: the actual order of operations
The first year of separation is mostly financial triage. You're covering the immediate — keeping the mortgage or rent going, managing child support, sorting bank accounts, paying
Co-parenting
Co-parenting when you don't trust your ex
Most co-parenting advice assumes a baseline of goodwill. Two adults who have parted ways but can still have a civil conversation about school pick-up times and
01-Survive
Mediation vs lawyers: when to use which and what each actually costs
The first thing most people do when they separate is call a lawyer. Sometimes that's the right move. Often it's not — or at least,
01-Survive
Parenting plans: what to actually include and what breaks them
Most parenting plans fail not because the parents couldn't agree in principle, but because the document didn't cover the details that actually cause friction.
01-Survive
How to tell the kids when you separate: what to say and what not to
There's no version of this conversation that feels right. You can prepare for it, think carefully about the words, choose the right moment — and it'