Preparing to separate from a partner can be one of the wort parts of a separation – there can be a period of limo, where the relationship is faltering, but not yet over. Maybe you’re going to counselling and it’s not helping, maybe you’re looking for the right time to have a difficult conversation, maybe you need to make some plans for what life “after” will look like.

 If you’re at that stage, there are some practical things you should consider before moving out. 

1.  Personal Safety 

If violence or controlling behaviour is one of the reasons you are considering leaving, you need to consider how to protect your personal safety once you leave. There are services that can assist with safety planning, such as 1800RESPECT. 

2. Passwords and access

You should make sure to change all the passwords to your online accounts and make sure any shared computers do not have automatic logins set up or connections to the cloud where you store personal information. Even if your partner doesn’t know the passwords, they can often be easy for intimate partners to guess. A password manager can help you safely store multiple secure passwords, so you don’t have to use your dogs name for everything!

3. Financial Planning

If possible, you should try to make sure you have a reserve of funds to help finance your day to day needs, and additional expenses you might need, like legal fees. 

You should also be ready to separate your income (if any) from your partners. Open a bank account in your sole name, and get ready to redirect any income you receive to that account. 

If you don’t receive any income, think about whether there are any other sources of financial assistance you can call on in the short term – friends or family, or find out about your entitlement to government benefits, emergency assistance and child support from the Department of Human Services. 

If you are renting a property with your partner, you need to consider how to break the lease if you want to move out, otherwise you and your partner will remain liable for the lease payments and you can be pursued for arrears and damage, even if you are not living there. Tenancy WA has excellent Fact Sheets on breaking lease. 

3. Important Documents 

Make sure you know where important documents like your passport, children’s birth certificates and other identity documents are, so that you can take them with you when you leave. 

4. Financial Information

If you will need to come to a financial settlement with your partner after you separate, make sure that you have copies of your important financial documents: 

• bank statements 
• tax returns/ financial statements
• certificates of title to property
• registration documents for companies 
• anything else relevant to the joint financial situation of you and your partner. 

5. Should you stay or go? 

Finally, before you leave, think about whether you ought to leave the family home or not. Do you want to continue living there long term? Will you be able to rehouse yourself pending a full financial settlement? Will your partner insist on staying, even if you separate? There may be a good reason why not moving out is a better option for you, even if the home is not in your name, but an experienced family lawyer can advise you about the best way forward.