What to bring to your first property settlement consultation

Our client portal makes gathering information easier

At Magpie Family Law, our client portal helps you gather the information and documents we need in one place, with clear steps to follow. It is designed to make the process straightforward and stress-free. There is no need to prepare anything before giving us a call: we can explain what is needed and guide you from there.

Write down the key dates and your priorities

A one-page summary is a useful starting point. Include when you began living together, any marriage date, when you separated, and whether a divorce has become final. Tell your lawyer about any hearing, proposed sale, settlement date or other approaching deadline.

Then write down what you want to understand. For example: can I keep the home, how should we approach the mortgage while we negotiate, or what information do we need before considering an offer? These questions help focus the first conversation.

Prepare a financial snapshot

Make a simple list of assets, debts and regular income. Approximate figures can help start the discussion, provided you identify them as estimates. Leave an amount marked “unknown” where you do not know it.

• Homes, investment properties and other real estate, with any recent appraisals or valuations.
• Bank accounts, investments, vehicles and other significant assets.
• Mortgages, credit cards, personal loans and other debts.
• Superannuation funds and recent balance statements.
• Income, regular expenses, and interests in a business, company, trust or farming operation.

Gather the documents already available to you

Useful starting documents may include recent bank and mortgage statements, superannuation statements, payslips, tax returns and records of business interests. Your lawyer can identify what else is relevant and how it should be obtained.

Include any financial agreement, court order, written proposal or correspondence from the other person’s solicitor. Keep the original documents and arrange copies in a way you can easily follow.

Financial disclosure is an ongoing legal obligation, not simply a checklist for your first appointment. The Court’s guidance linked below explains why relevant financial information must be exchanged and kept current. This preparation list does not replace advice about your disclosure obligations.

If you do not have everything, still ask for help

Make a separate list of missing records and questions about access. Do not treat missing paperwork as a reason to put off advice about an urgent issue. Your first consultation can help establish what is needed next.

If a business or farm is involved, explain who owns the land, who operates the business and whether there are companies or trusts. Even a simple diagram can make that first discussion easier. You do not need to commission a valuation before finding out what advice or evidence may be needed.

Make the first conversation useful

Ask what the next stage involves, what further information is needed, who will do each step and how costs will be discussed. Before sending financial records, confirm with the practice how to provide them securely.

Magpie Family Law assists with property settlements in Ballarat. You can start with a short enquiry and arrange a conversation with Daniel Brownlie about your circumstances.