Get advice before you act on anything significant, not after. Many of the most difficult situations we see started with a well-intentioned but uninformed decision made in the first few days, moving out without understanding the implications, agreeing verbally to an arrangement that later becomes hard to change, or saying something in anger that gets used against them later.
Beyond getting advice, a few practical steps help regardless of your specific situation. Start documenting your financial position, bank balances, property values, and any super statements you can access. If children are involved, shift communication with your ex to writing wherever possible. And resist the urge to make any major decisions, financial or otherwise, under pressure or in the heat of the moment.
Separation rarely starts with full clarity, that’s completely normal. The goal isn’t to have everything figured out immediately, it’s to avoid doing anything in the early days that limits your options later. A free first appointment is exactly the right move at this stage, before you’ve decided what you even need help with yet.