Setting up a second household while the property split is still being worked out
- Services Australia, child support and free financial counselling are worth checking before any loan
- Unsecured loans from $5K to $100K for a rental bond, furniture, whitegoods, a car or moving costs
- Funding available within 2 business days with some non-bank lenders, once a loan is approved
- Assessed on your own income now, plus child support or spousal maintenance where a lender accepts it
- Full-doc (tax returns), low-doc or alt-doc (BAS, bank statements or an accountant's letter instead) options across our 90+ lender panel
You are setting up a new home after separating, and the list is long: a rental bond, beds, a fridge, perhaps a car. The property settlement may still be months from being signed, and until it is, nobody can say what your share will be. A personal loan for these costs is assessed on the income you earn today, not on a share you expect to receive later. Help that may cover part of the cost is set out first, below. Joseph Farhat and his team can then show you what one income supports and what a loan would cost in total, so the decision stays yours.
Help and payments to look at first
Each of these can tell you what applies to you.
- Services Australia: if you receive a Centrelink payment, you must tell Services Australia within 14 days of separating. They can tell you what payments you may be eligible for now, including whether a Crisis Payment applies in your circumstances.
- Child support: separated parents may need to apply for child support through Services Australia, which can also register spousal support.
- Legal Aid NSW: the free LawAccess NSW line, 1300 888 529, is open weekdays between 9am and 5pm. Legal Aid NSW can help with maintenance, family dispute resolution and property settlement agreements, and whether it represents you depends on eligibility.
- Family Relationship Advice Line: 1800 050 321, open Monday to Saturday (hours vary by day, local time).
- National Debt Helpline: 1800 007 007 for free financial counselling (weekdays 9:30am to 4:30pm), useful if joint bills or debts are part of the pressure.
- 1800RESPECT: 1800 737 732, for anyone affected by family or domestic violence.
If one of these covers what you need, a loan may not be necessary.
Who we can help access finance
- People who have moved out of a shared home and need a rental bond and moving costs for a new place.
- Parents setting up a second home where the children will stay, who need beds, furniture and whitegoods.
- People who need a car of their own because the household vehicle stayed with the other home.
- Self-employed people whose income must now be shown on its own, through BAS or an accountant's letter.
- People whose name is still on a joint mortgage, car loan or credit card, and who want to know how that affects a new application.
How Separation and Divorce Finance Works
This is a standard personal loan. The lender pays a fixed amount to you once, and you repay it over a set term, usually 1 to 7 years. A loan for a car can instead be secured by the car being bought. The amount is best matched to quotes you already have: the bond, the furniture order, the price of the car.
The lender assesses you as a single applicant. Your income, your expenses in the new household and any debts in your name decide what you can repay. Lenders generally do not count your expected share of the property settlement, because it is not confirmed until orders or a signed agreement exist, and sale proceeds are often held in a solicitor's trust account until then. Debts still in joint names remain part of your commitments while they are open. Tell the lender that a property settlement is still to be finalised, including any joint debt you may take over under it, because lenders assess your position at the time you apply and expected changes should be disclosed. A new loan also forms part of your financial position for the settlement, and family law sets duties of financial disclosure, so tell your lawyer about it too.
Joseph Farhat and his team compare how lenders across our panel of 90+ bank, non-bank, and specialist lenders treat single incomes, child support and joint debts. Our role is the loan. The property settlement is for you, your former partner and your lawyers to resolve. Legal costs are covered on our legal fees and divorce finance page, and keeping the home on our divorce property settlement refinance page.
What Lenders Assess for Separation and Divorce Finance
Your income on its own
what you earn as one applicant, whether wages, a pension or business income, checked against your documents.
Support received
child support counts with some lenders, often in part, once it is backed by an assessment or order and has been paid regularly. Spousal maintenance counts only where a lender's policy allows.
Your new costs
rent, power, phone, any school or childcare costs, and any support you pay, all for one household.
Joint debts
a mortgage, car loan or card still in both names, and how much of its repayment the lender counts against you.
Loan purpose and amount
what the funds are for, matched to quotes, a lease or a car contract.
Your credit file
recent applications and how existing accounts have been repaid.
The Separation and Divorce Finance Process: What to Expect
- Talk to Joseph Farhat and his team about the costs in front of you, your income now and any joint debts. We will ask whether you have checked the support listed above.
- Provide identification, income evidence, recent bank statements, any child support assessment or order, and details of debts in joint names.
- We compare lenders on how they treat one income, child support and joint debts, and show you the repayment and the total cost of the loan.
- One application goes to the lender that fits. Its loan contract sets out the rate, comparison rate, fees and term before you sign.
- The funds are paid once approved. If you expect to repay early when your settlement is finalised, check the early repayment terms in the contract before you sign.
Indicative Finance Options
| Lender Type | Pricing | Typical Loan Range | Loan Term | Security | Speed to Funding |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bank | Sharpest available pricing | $5K to $100K | 1 to 7 years | Unsecured, or secured by a car being bought | 3 to 10 business days |
| Non-Bank Lenders | Priced for flexibility | $5K to $100K | 1 to 7 years | Unsecured, or secured by a car being bought | Within 2 business days |
| Private Finance | Not typically used for consumer lending after separation. Available for unique scenarios only. | ||||
Indicative figures only. Loan terms depend on your single income, household budget, any joint debts and the lender's assessment when you apply. Before you apply, we quote the rate and comparison rate that match your loan amount and term. Terms can change.
Why borrowers choose Settled With Joe for separation and divorce finance
We represent you, not the lender
Joseph Farhat and his team owe you a best interests duty, and the law bars them from putting forward a loan that is unsuitable.
Support named first
Services Australia, child support, Legal Aid NSW and the National Debt Helpline come before any loan.
Borrowing sized to the costs
the amount follows the bond, the furniture and the car price, not an expected settlement.
Fewer enquiries
the lender is picked before any application, so your file is not crowded.
Private and respectful
your figures matter to us, the reasons for the separation do not.
A wide panel
90+ bank, non-bank, and specialist lenders, for straightforward and self-employed incomes alike.
Private finance for unique scenarios
where bank and non-bank lenders are not the right fit, we can introduce you to private finance options.
Usually no direct cost to you
as a broker we are typically paid by the lender on settlement.
Straight answers
when the repayment would stretch a single budget too far, you hear that from us first.
Frequently asked questions
What is separation and divorce finance?
It is a personal loan for the costs of setting up a separate home after a relationship ends, such as a rental bond, furniture, whitegoods, a car or moving costs. Married and de facto partners can both use it, with or without children. It does not cover buying out a former partner's share of a home, which is a home loan refinance.
Can I borrow against my share of the property settlement before it is final?
Generally not. Until consent orders are made or an agreement is signed, the share is not confirmed, so lenders generally do not treat it as an asset or as income. Where a property has been sold, the proceeds are often held in a solicitor's trust account or a joint account until the split is agreed or ordered. Lenders therefore assess the loan on what you earn now.
Will a lender count child support or spousal maintenance?
Some will, under their own policy. Lenders that consider child support usually want a Services Australia assessment or a court order and a record of regular payments, and many count only part of it while the children are under an age the lender sets. It is not usually accepted as your only income. Spousal maintenance is a payment to a former partner who cannot adequately support themselves, and it is subject to the same time limits as property orders. Your lawyer can explain whether it applies to you.
My name is still on a joint loan with my former partner. Can I still borrow?
Often, yes, but the joint loan matters. While you are a borrower on it, you can be asked to repay the full amount, so many lenders count its repayment as yours even if your former partner is making it. We can show you how different lenders treat the joint debt before you apply.
Do I need to tell Services Australia that I have separated?
If you receive a Centrelink payment, yes, within 14 days of separating. Services Australia can also tell you whether what you receive will change, which helps before you decide how much, if anything, to borrow.
Can I repay the loan early once my settlement comes through?
Many personal loans allow extra or early repayments, but the terms and any fees vary between lenders and products. Check the early repayment terms in the loan contract before you sign.
Can I get a car loan after separation?
Often, yes. A car loan is assessed on your income in the same way, and it can be secured by the car being bought or left unsecured, depending on the lender. Our car and vehicle loan page covers car finance in more detail.
Will applying affect my credit score?
Yes, it can. Each application leaves an enquiry on your file whether it is approved or not, and a cluster of them makes the next lender cautious. That matters more if you plan to apply for a home loan in your own name later. Lenders are compared before we lodge anything, so a single application goes where it is likely to fit.
What is a comparison rate, and why are no rates shown on this page?
The comparison rate folds the usual fees into one percentage, which makes the cost of different loans easier to line up. Each one is worked out for a particular amount and term, and a $5K loan over 2 years has little in common with a $60K car loan over 7. A headline figure here would not describe your loan, so you get the rate and comparison rate for your real numbers before applying.
Do you work with borrowers with bad credit?
Yes, we do. A default or other listing is one factor, not the whole picture. Lenders also weigh what you earn now, your recent repayment record and the purpose of the loan, and a few of the lenders we use give those more weight than the listing, pricing the loan to suit. If you mention it at the start, your application goes to one of those lenders first.
Do you act in my best interests?
Yes. On every consumer loan the law requires us to ask about your situation, what you need the money for and what you can afford, and to check that information. A loan that is unsuitable for you cannot be put forward. When we provide credit assistance on consumer lending we owe you a best interests duty, and that includes the personal loans on this page. Our Credit Guide comes to you before any credit assistance begins.
Why work with Settled With Joe to arrange your separation and divorce finance?
One phone call tells you what a single income can carry, before a lender sees anything. We hear from parents and from people without children, from employees and the self-employed, each setting up a separate household. Nobody here judges, and the reasons for the separation stay with you. The factors that count are your current pay, each lender's view of child support and joint debts, and the true cost of the items on your list. With 90+ bank, non-bank, and specialist lenders to choose from, a simple application can sit with a bank while a self-employed one still has somewhere to go. From our Sydney base we help people right around Australia. Joseph Farhat and his team will tell you early, and plainly, where you stand.
Do you give financial advice?
No. We do not guide you on your finances, nor give financial advice. We focus on outcomes and solutions of presenting your unique scenario to the right lender so you can access funding in a timely and compliant manner.
Do you help with separation and divorce finance outside Sydney?
Yes. Settled With Joe is based in Sydney and arranges separation and divorce finance Australia-wide, covering both metro and regional areas. We work with clients in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, and Canberra, as well as regional areas including Newcastle, Wollongong, Geelong, Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, and Toowoomba. Services Australia and the national helplines on this page are available wherever you live, and legal aid is run by each state and territory.
