Property or Parenting First? Does the Order Actually Matter in Divorce Negotiations?

🎧 Listen to this episode if… • Your ex has said they will not discuss money until parenting is agreed • You are not sure whether to sort property or parenting first, or both together • You are separated under one roof and nothing is moving • You have been handed an offer with a 24-hour deadline and it feels like pressure • Your ex has suddenly started pushing hard for 50/50 after showing little interest • You are heading into mediation and want to know what to do if they ambush you ⚠️ Disclaimer & Support General information only, not legal advice. Australian family law. Always get advice about your own situation. This episode discusses coercive control and financial abuse. In danger, call 000. Support: 1800 RESPECT 1800 737 732. Lifeline 13 11 14. Episode Summary "I am not discussing property until parenting is sorted." It sounds like a rule. It is not. Mum and I unpack whether the order matters, where property and parenting really overlap, the time limits you cannot miss, and the eight stalling tactics we are seeing right now – the hostage swap, the circle walk, the 50/50 care play, the disclosure drip, the attrition strategy, the mediation ambush, the generosity trap and weaponised urgency. Plus the interim property distribution most self-represented people have never heard of. ⏱️ Episode Timeline 00:00 – Property or Parenting First? Why Your Ex Wants to Control the Order 02:00 – Where Property and Parenting Actually Collide 04:00 – Why Some Exes Insist on Parenting First 06:00 – When Stalling Becomes Coercive Control and Economic Abuse 07:00 – Property Time Limits: De Facto vs Married Explained 09:00 – Can You Run Property and Parenting Together? Yes 11:00 – Mediation, 60I Certificates and Doing Both at Once 12:00 – Is There Any Good Reason to Keep Them Separate? 15:00 – "Who Died and Made Them Boss?" Taking Back Control 17:00 – Dirty Trick 1: The Hostage Swap 18:00 – The Line That Shuts It Down: "That's Not the Law" 20:00 – The Power Imbalance Test You Can Do Today 22:00 – Dirty Trick 2: The Circle Walk 23:00 – Interim Property Distribution: The Real Circuit Breaker 26:00 – Dirty Trick 3: The 50/50 Care Play 29:00 – Dirty Trick 4: The Disclosure Drip and Section 71B 31:00 – Dirty Trick 5: The Attrition Strategy and Wearing You Down 34:00 – Dirty Trick 6: The Mediation Ambush 36:00 – Filing in Court: Why the Registrar Changes Everything 38:00 – Dirty Trick 7: The Generosity Trap 40:00 – Dirty Trick 8: Weaponised Urgency and Fake Deadlines 42:00 – Sequencing by Personality Type: Which Order Suits Which Ex 44:00 – Rapid Fire: Your Biggest Property and Parenting Questions 47:00 – Rapid Fire for People Already in Court 50:00 – The Double-Sided Cushion: Your Two Sticky Notes 🎧 Episodes Mentioned Episode 213 – The Hidden Connection: Custody Battles & Property Splits in Divorce https://podcasts.apple.com/ph/podcast... Episode 191 – What Your Lawyer Might Forget to Tell You: Unlocking Funds Before Property Settlement Is Final https://podcasts.apple.com/ph/podcast... Episode 218 – Business Tricks in Divorce: 10 Sneaky Tactics to Watch Out For and Outsmart https://podcasts.apple.com/ph/podcast... Links & Resources 🌐 www.thedivorcecourse.com.au | 🎓 www.thedivorcecourse.com.au/blog Family Law Act 1975 – s 60CC, s 71B, s 79 | Federal Circuit and Family Court – www.fcfcoa.gov.au If this episode helped, please follow, rate, review and share The Divorce Course Podcast. All our best, Laura & Lyn Your Guides By Your Side Co-Hosts of THE DIVORCE COURSE PODCAST