You can leave the family home and take your fair share of the household goods if it is likely to be difficult to obtain them later. If you leave the family home it does not mean that you lose your entitlement to a fair share of the property. However, you should bear in mind that court proceedings are an expensive and time consuming way to recover property.
It is important that you obtain, if possible, financial records such as tax returns, superannuation statements and bank records, to help with the division of assets. An application for property division or settlement in the Federal Magistrates Service or the Family Court may be made any time from separation but no later than 12 months after the divorce becomes final. A late application can only be made with special permission of the court.
