The first week after separation: what to sort
Once the first 24 hours are covered, the first week is for stabilising the basics: support, one legal information session, payments, a rough budget and your documents.
Once the immediate things are covered, stretch the timeline. The first week is for stabilising the basics: opening support pathways and turning unknowns into lists.
This is the second stage of the first 30 days after separation. If you have not done the first 24 hours yet, start there.
See your GP
Tell your GP what is happening. If you are eligible, a mental health treatment plan can help you access Medicare rebates for mental health support. In Australia, Better Access allows eligible patients to claim Medicare benefits for up to 10 individual and 10 group mental health treatment services per calendar year.
This does not mean therapy will be free. There may still be a gap payment. But it opens the support pathway before you hit the wall. If you cannot get a psychologist quickly, read what to do when you can't get a psychologist: the interim system.
Book one legal information session
Book one family law consultation. One. The goal is not to start a war or engage a lawyer forever. The goal is to understand:
- what your situation roughly looks like
- what you should not do
- what documents matter
- what timelines may apply
- what is urgent and what is not
Separation gets more expensive when people guess. If mediation is already on the horizon, read how to prepare for mediation.
Check Services Australia, child support and care percentage
If you have children, check what changes after separation. It can affect:
- Family Tax Benefit and Parenting Payment
- Child Care Subsidy and Rent Assistance
- child support and care percentage
- Health Care Card eligibility and income estimates
You do not need to solve every payment in week one. You do need to know whether your income, care percentage or eligibility has changed. Useful starting points:
- Services Australia: help when you're deciding to separate
- Services Australia: learning about child support
- myGov: child support
To estimate child support as part of your budget, use the free Atlas child support calculator.
Sketch a rough budget
Not a perfect budget. A rough one. Write down income, mortgage or rent, groceries, school and childcare, insurance, utilities, transport, debt repayments, subscriptions, medical costs, child support paid or received, short-term separation costs and anything you are unsure about.
The point is to see the gap. If the number is bad, it is better to know now than to discover it through failed direct debits. Use Atlas Money to map it in one place, and see building your finances back after separation for what comes next.
Start a simple document folder
Do not build a museum. Build a folder. Save copies of:
- bank, mortgage, loan and credit card statements
- payslips, tax returns and notices of assessment
- superannuation details and property documents
- insurance policies, car registration and insurance
- birth certificates, passports and Medicare details
- private health insurance, school fee and childcare details
- major shared bills, written agreements and important messages
Use boring folder names: date first, topic second, for example 2026-10-21_bank-statements or 2026-10-21_school-fees. Fancy systems collapse under stress.
Check your superannuation nomination
Check who is listed on your super. Depending on your fund and nomination type, your beneficiary nomination may be binding, non-binding, lapsing or non-lapsing, and the rules matter. Do not assume separation automatically updates anything. Ask the fund what type of nomination you have and update it if appropriate. If there is conflict or complexity, get advice before making big changes.
Cancel, split or note shared subscriptions
Shared subscriptions are small money leaks and small emotional hooks. Check streaming, music, cloud storage, family apps, shopping accounts, gym memberships, delivery apps, toll accounts, software, insurance and phone plans. Cancel what should stop, split what should separate, and record anything that needs agreement.
Next: the first month
When the week is done, move on to the first month after separation.
Want the whole picture in one place? Use the free Atlas separation checklist: 119 steps across money, legal, kids and home. Tick them off as you go, no signup needed.
This is general information, not legal, financial or medical advice. Check the current rules before acting on anything money, court or health related.