Preparing for FDR Property

If you are in immediate danger, call 000.

If you are currently unsafe, please contact a support service before you start this course. 1800RESPECT is on 1800 737 732, or text 0458 737 732. Lifeline is on 13 11 14.

A practical online course for people preparing to divide property and finances after separation. The aim is a fair settlement, one that lets you move on independently, and you can’t get there if the process is a mystery.

Enrol now ($97)

Fair matters more than fast

Fast and fair aren’t the same thing. Plenty of people agree to something quickly because they want it over, then spend years living with the numbers.

This course helps you slow down at the right moments. You’ll learn what a property pool is and what has to go into it, how contributions and future needs are weighed, and how a four step approach to a just and equitable outcome works. Where family violence is part of the picture, you’ll also look at its economic effects.

FDR isn’t court, and the practitioner doesn’t decide the outcome for you. How any of this applies to your own situation is a question for your lawyer, and the course is clear about that.

The whole course takes about eleven hours, at your own pace. Work through the modules in order or come back to one when you need it. Try to complete all seven at least once before your pre-mediation session.

Illustration of an open book with leaves and a gold tick, representing learning the process.

Understand the process

Learn what property FDR involves, what stays confidential, and where the limits are.

Know your property pool

Work out what to disclose, what to gather, and how to list your assets and liabilities clearly.

Illustration of an open notebook with a pen, a leaf, and a gold tick, representing preparation.

Arrive prepared and steady

Prepare your documents and opening statement, and build tools for staying calm in the room.

Enrol now ($97)

What you’ll work through

There’s a short orientation, seven modules, and four appendices.

Module 1. Understanding Property Family Dispute Resolution. What property FDR is, its legal basis in Australia, who an FDR practitioner is, why people choose it over going straight to court, and how the process runs.
Module 2. Your Rights, Confidentiality, and the Law. Confidentiality and its exceptions, what inadmissibility means for you, time limits for property matters, the duty of full and frank disclosure, and your rights and responsibilities.
Module 3. The Property Pool and Full and Frank Disclosure. Assets and liabilities to disclose, companies and trusts, recent disposals of property, the family home, and companion animals.
Module 4. The Four Step Framework and the Considerations. The overarching standard, each of the four steps, the economic effects of family violence, and a worked example.
Module 5. Preparing for Your Property Mediation Session. Gathering documents, completing the property pool spreadsheet, getting independent legal advice, positions and interests, your opening statement, ground rules, and a checklist for the day.
Module 6. Self Development and Resilience for Property Mediation. The emotional side of financial separation, stress signals and triggers, staying steady in the room, recovering afterwards, and building a personal resilience plan.
Module 7. Agreements, Outcomes, and Next Steps. Types of property agreements, the benefits of an enforceable agreement, the court’s role in reviewing consent orders, what happens if there’s no agreement, and life after settlement.

The appendices include support services and helpline contacts, key legislative references, a property mediation preparation worksheet, and your personal resilience and wellbeing plan.

Questions you might be asking

Do I need legal or financial knowledge?

No. The course is written in plain language and explains terms as they come up. You don’t need to arrive knowing how superannuation or a trust is treated, because that’s what the lessons are for.

What will I have at the end?

You’ll finish with a completed property pool spreadsheet, a preparation worksheet, a personal resilience plan, and a drafted opening statement.

Do I still need a lawyer?

This course doesn’t replace one. It prepares you for the mediation process itself, and Lesson 5.4 covers getting independent legal advice. For questions about your own situation, speak with your lawyer.

What if there is family violence in my situation?

The course looks at the economic effects of family violence where they’re relevant, and Appendix A lists support services. If you are currently unsafe, please contact one of the services on this page before you start.

What if it gets emotional?

It will, at times, and that’s normal. Money and separation are tangled together. Module 6 gives you practical tools for the session and for the days afterwards, and you can stop and come back whenever you need to.

What it can do, and what it can’t

This is general education. It isn’t legal or financial advice, counselling, or crisis support, and it can’t guarantee an outcome. What it can do is get you ready. You’ll know what to gather, what to expect, and what to ask your lawyer.

Support, any hour

Support numbers: 000 for emergencies, 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732 or text 0458 737 732, and Lifeline on 13 11 14.

000: Call for Police, Ambulance, or Fire in an emergency.

1800RESPECT: 1800 737 732, or text 0458 737 732.

Lifeline: 13 11 14.

13YARN: 13 92 76, for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander crisis support.

Men’s Referral Service: 1300 766 491, for men who want to stop using violent or controlling behaviour.

Enrol now ($97)

Not ready yet? That’s fine. The course will be here when you are.