01-Survive
The immediate phase. Practical guides for the first weeks — money, kids, legal, and getting stable.
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
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'
01-Survive
Separation vs divorce in Australia: the difference, and how long you must be separated before you can divorce
In Australia you must be separated for at least 12 months before a court will grant you a divorce. You can apply once the 12 months are up,
01-Survive
The 2025 family law changes: what separated parents actually need to know
Reviewed October 2026. This explains the law as it stood then. It isn't legal advice, and family law changes, so confirm how it applies to you
Housing
Setting up your place: how to make a rental work for you and the kids
You're standing in an empty flat. Two bedrooms if you were lucky with the budget, one if you weren't. No furniture beyond what you