What to do when you've separated

Applying for a divorce

Find information on how to apply for a divorce on the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia website.

If you’re on a temporary visa

You need to tell the Department of Home Affairs if you separate while in Australia on a temporary visa.

Find out what to do when your relationship has changed on the Department of Home Affairs website.

Telling providers about your separation

You may need to let people or organisations know of your separation, including:

• banks
• Centrelink
• Child Support
• utility providers
• insurance providers
• Medicare.

You may need a new Medicare card if you’ve gone through a separation. Find out how to get your own Medicare card on the Services Australia website.

Separating finances

There’s a lot to consider when separating assets and finances. You’ll both need to think about what you shared during the relationship and work together to decide who gets what.

Assets to consider may include:

• mortgages or loans
• utilities like electricity, gas and phone accounts
• joint bank accounts
• businesses
• properties
• cars, boats and other transport
• shares or investments.

You can find more information on separating finances on the Moneysmart website.

Living arrangements

You may want to discuss changes to living arrangements with your ex-partner, if you’re comfortable doing so. This can include talking about who will stay in the current residence and living arrangements of children.