You probably have a lot of questions
Separation can leave you wondering what happens next, how much it will cost, whether your former partner will participate—and whether there really is a better way.
Here are clear answers about Family.Reimagined, how the service works and what your family can expect.
What is Family.Reimagined?
Family.Reimagined is an Australian separation-support and coordination service that helps families move from one household to two. We bring together family-transition coordination, parenting support, financial guidance, individual wellbeing support and independent legal advice within one clear family roadmap.
Can Family.Reimagined help us work out parenting and financial arrangements without making the separation more hostile?
Yes. Family.Reimagined helps separating parents understand their options, identify common ground and work through parenting and financial decisions with coordinated and expert professional support. Our aim is to reduce unnecessary conflict while ensuring both adults are heard and children’s needs remain central.
What kinds of professionals are involved?
Depending on the family’s needs, the team may include a Family Transition Coordinator (organiser extraodinaire), Family Redesign Specialist (expert in all things family), Financial Transition Specialist (loves numbers!), emotional wellbeing Practitioner of each parent’s choosing, and a separate independent family law solicitor for each adult (capped fees, agreed timeframe to respond).
Additional services can be brought in where required, regarding children’s special needs, intricate business or accounting knowledge, forensic accounting, Family Dispute Relationship Practitioner / mediator, etc.
Can Family.Reimagined work with parents individually as well as together?
Yes. We can meet with parents separately and together, depending on their needs, communication arrangements and safety considerations. Each adult can also receive confidential advice from their own independent solicitor.
Our Service
Do you provide parenting, financial and communication support in one place?
Yes. Family.Reimagined brings together parenting, financial, wellbeing, communication and legal support around one family roadmap.
Your Family Transition Coordinator helps connect the different parts of the process, keep track of agreed actions and make sure everyone understands what comes next. This means you are not left to find and coordinate every professional yourself.
Is Family.Reimagined an alternative to going straight into a lengthy family-law dispute?
Yes, absolutely. Separation is first and foremost a family event—not a legal one.
It is one of the most fundamentally human changes we can experience, affecting our closest relationships, children, home, finances, identity and hopes for the future. We believe families need emotional support, practical guidance and space to design what their new lives will look like - way before solicitors are even considered.
When lawyers become the primary managers of a family’s separation, correspondence, competing positions and hourly fees can quickly increase conflict, fear, delay and cost—with children living through the consequences.
Family.Reimagined was created to disrupt that pattern and offer a better way.
We help both adults organise their information, understand their children’s needs and each other’s circumstances, and develop practical parenting and financial options for life across two households. We spend time identifying what matters most to each person, where there is common ground and where different views remain.
Only after that new picture has been developed do both adults obtain their own independent legal advice, usually from our panel. Their lawyers can explain their individual rights and risks, review the proposed arrangements and ensure that any parenting or financial documents the family chooses to formalise are prepared correctly.
Families can choose whether particular arrangements remain informal or are formalised legally, after understanding the implications of each option. For example, parents may use a parenting plan or apply for legally enforceable consent orders. Financial arrangements may also be documented in different ways, and independent legal advice helps each adult understand the security and consequences of those choices.
Our aim is to stop the legal process from driving the family transition. By completing the human, parenting, financial and practical work first, legal involvement can be more focused and cost-effective — saving families time, stress and money, and reducing the distress experienced by their children.
Can you help us make child-focused parenting arrangements?
Yes. Our Family Redesign Specialist helps parents explore practical arrangements based on each child’s age, development, routines, relationships, safety and individual needs.
The aim is not simply to divide time between two adults. It is to create arrangements that support the children’s wellbeing and help them maintain safe, meaningful relationships with both parents wherever this is in their best interests.
Parenting arrangements may also need to evolve as children grow or family circumstances change.
Do we both need to agree to use Family.Reimagined?
Yes, and no.
Either adult can contact us and have an initial conversation.
For a coordinated service involving both adults, each person must understand the service and agree to participate.
Family.Reimagined cannot force someone to participate. If your former partner does not wish to engage, we can discuss what individual support or referrals may still be appropriate.
What if one person is more dominant? Would they agree to a service that levels the playing field?
This concern is more common than you might think—and it is raised by people of all genders.
When we describe Family.Reimagined, people often tell us, “My former partner would never agree to that.” Yet both people may be thinking the same thing. Each may fear that the other has a strategy, will withhold information, make decisions without them or use the process to gain an advantage.
People can attempt to influence separation in different ways—through money, communication, access to information, emotional pressure or the children. Our role is to reduce those opportunities by creating greater structure, transparency and accountability.
Both adults are heard. Financial information is shared. Decisions and actions are recorded. Communication can take place in a supported environment, without assumptions or gender bias.
If we observe intimidating, controlling, coercive, abusive or otherwise inappropriate behaviour, we will not ignore or normalise it. We will raise the concern, consider appropriate safeguards and, where necessary, pause or change how the service is delivered.
We cannot guarantee that every person will participate—or that all harmful behaviour will stop. But our aim is to create an environment in which neither person needs to outmanoeuvre the other to feel protected, allowing everyone to approach the transition with greater safety, clarity and confidence.
What if we have already started the separation process?
You can contact us at different stages of separation.
You may already have lawyers, financial information, proposed parenting arrangements or some areas of agreement. We can help identify what has been completed, what remains unresolved and whether a coordinated roadmap could help your family move forward.
Where court proceedings or existing professional relationships are involved, we will consider carefully how our role can complement—not interfere with—the work already underway.
Can we continue using our existing lawyer, accountant or counsellor?
Yes. You are not required to replace trusted professionals who are already helping you.
Where appropriate and authorised, Family.Reimagined can coordinate with your existing professionals or help identify any additional expertise your family needs. Each professional remains responsible for their own advice, services, confidentiality and professional obligations.
Is Family.Reimagined available across Australia?
Yes. Family.Reimagined is an Australia-wide service, with most conversations and meetings conducted online.
Relevant legal advice and specialist services are matched to the family’s location, needs and applicable state or federal requirements.
Is Family.Reimagined available outside Australia?
Not yet—but US and UK services are planned for 2027.
While families everywhere face many of the same human, emotional, parenting and financial challenges during separation, each country has different laws, professional requirements and support systems. We want to ensure the service is properly adapted for each location before accepting families.
If you live outside Australia and would like to use Family.Reimagined, please contact us and tell us which country you are in. We will add you to our international waitlist and keep you informed as services become available.
How long does the process take?
Every family is different, but our full Family Transition Program is generally designed to provide coordinated support over approximately four to twelve months, depending on both adult’s preference and ability to progress each stage.
At the beginning, we develop a roadmap with key stages, decisions and indicative timeframes. The roadmap may change if new information emerges, urgent concerns arise or either person needs additional professional support.
Our aim is to keep the transition moving within clear and reasonable timeframes without rushing important decisions.
Costs and Payment
How much does the Family Transition Program cost?
Honestly, it depends on your family and your needs.
To give it a ballpark figure, we would estimate around $7,500 to $15,000 per parent OR $15,000-$30,000 per family.
The exact scope of services included will be explained in your service proposal and agreement. Any work outside the agreed scope will be discussed with you before additional costs are incurred.
Whoa—that sounds expensive!
It is a significant investment, but the cost needs to be compared with the alternative.
In our research, people who engaged lawyers reported spending an average of approximately $46,000–$70,000 each on their separation—often with counselling and other wellbeing support paid for separately. Some people who went to court reported legal costs of $300,000–$500,000, and their matters were still not finished.
Family.Reimagined brings parenting, financial, emotional, coordination and legal support together within one service. For example, the 8–10 hours of legal support per parent included in the program could cost as much as $8,000 per parent if engaged separately at standard commercial rates.
We negotiate better rates and capped fees with our practitioners and legal partners. We also seek out family law firms that genuinely care about families and are prepared to provide independent advice at fair, middle-of-the-road rates—not premium commercial rates.
Our purpose is not to prolong the process or generate professional fees. It is to provide the right help early, reduce duplication and conflict, and help your family reach practical arrangements before the emotional and financial costs spiral.
How do we pay for Family.Reimagined’s services?
The Family Transition Program is usually charged as one upfront package fee, payable before the program begins. You can pay via card or bank transfer.
The adults may agree to share the fee equally, divide it another way or arrange for another approved person or organisation to contribute. Each person’s payment responsibilities will be clearly documented before services commence.
Payment details and due dates will be provided in your service agreement and invoice.
What if one of us cannot afford an equal share?
The fee does not necessarily have to be divided equally.
You and your former partner may agree on a different contribution from each person. An employer, family member, sponsor or another approved funding source may also contribute where an appropriate arrangement is available.
Any funding arrangement must be confirmed before the service begins and does not give the person or organisation paying access to confidential family information.
I won’t have cash until our property settlement is finalised or the family home is sold. Can I pay then?
We understand. Many separating families have considerable value tied up in their home but limited cash available during the transition.
If you and your former partner remain amicable, the first option may be to agree that the program is a shared family expense and fund it from available savings, an offset account or a redraw facility attached to your home loan.
Where redraw funds are available, you could jointly agree to use part of them to pay the Family.Reimagined fee. You should confirm the lender’s access requirements, consider the effect on your home loan and repayments, and record your agreement in writing.
If suitable funds are not available, other possibilities may include:
a documented loan from a family member;
employer-funded or subsidised support, or loan;
an appropriate personal loan; or
funding from an independent separation or family-law finance provider, where eligible.
Family.Reimagined’s program fee is currently payable upfront, so we cannot ordinarily defer payment until the home is sold or the property settlement is completed. However, please speak with us before assuming that the program is out of reach. We can help both of you discuss whether there is a mutually acceptable way to fund the service.
Can my employer help pay for the service?
Yes, its worth asking them. Family.Reimagined is developing separation support as an employee benefit that employers can subsidise or fully fund.
An employer may contribute to support for its employee or, depending on the arrangement, the broader family service. If both adults’ employers offer separation support, each employer may contribute towards the support provided to its own employee.
Your employer will not receive private information about your relationship, children, finances, discussions or decisions. Any information provided to the employer will be limited to what has been agreed and is reasonably necessary to administer the benefit.
Employers interested in offering Family.Reimagined can contact us to discuss a tailored program.
Can another person or organisation sponsor our family?
Potentially. Family.Reimagined welcomes contributions from employers, businesses, philanthropic organisations and community partners that wish to help families access separation support.
Funding availability is not guaranteed, but families who need assistance are welcome to register their interest.
Why We Operate as a Social Enterprise
Why is Family.Reimagined a social enterprise?
Family.Reimagined was created primarily to improve how families experience separation—not to prolong disputes or maximise professional fees.
Our social purpose is to help families move from one household to two with greater safety, clarity, fairness and support, while reducing unnecessary conflict, delay, cost and post-relationship harm.
Being a social enterprise does not mean that every service is free or that Family.Reimagined is a charity. We charge for services so qualified professionals can be paid fairly and the organisation can operate sustainably. Our purpose guides how the service is designed, how success is measured and how future growth and funding decisions are made.
Once the enterprise is profitable we can make decisions to help use additional funds to improve our services and reduce fees, making us more accessible to every family.
Will you be able to reduce the cost for future families?
Our long-term goal is to make coordinated separation support significantly more affordable. As our client community grows, we hope to establish a permanent team, improve efficiency and negotiate even better professional rates.
By joining us in these early stages, providing honest feedback and telling others about Family.Reimagined, you will be helping us build a better and more accessible way through separation for future families.
How do you measure whether the service is making a difference?
During the pilot, we will seek feedback from participating families and assess areas such as:
whether people felt supported, informed and heard
whether urgent issues were identified early
whether financial and parenting information became clearer
whether decisions were reached within reasonable timeframes
whether unnecessary conflict and duplicated professional work were reduced
whether children’s needs remained central
whether both adults were better prepared for life across two households
The pilot is intended to help us learn what works, what needs to change and how the model could support more Australian families in the future.
Safety, Fairness and Privacy
Is Family.Reimagined suitable where there is conflict or harmful behaviour?
Some conflict or disagreement does not automatically make a family unsuitable for the service. Supported communication and coordinated professional involvement may help prevent difficulties from escalating - and really help because we are present with the family along the way.
However, not every family can safely participate in joint discussions or a shared process. We consider safety concerns when deciding how—or whether—the service can proceed.
Family.Reimagined is not an emergency service and does not replace police, child-protection authorities, specialist domestic and family-violence services.
Will Family.Reimagined take one person’s side?
No. Our role is to create a process in which each person can be heard and relevant concerns can be considered without assumptions, gender bias or either person being automatically prejudged.
This does not mean that every claim will be accepted without question or that harmful behaviour will be treated as an ordinary disagreement. Safety concerns and allegations should be taken seriously, documented appropriately and referred for specialist assessment where required.
Each adult’s independent lawyer acts only for that adult and provides confidential legal advice in their individual interests.
Is our information confidential?
Family.Reimagined handles highly personal information about relationships, children, finances, wellbeing and safety.
Before services begin, we explain:
what information is shared between participants
what may be kept separately
which professionals may access particular information
how documents and communications are stored
the limits of confidentiality
when information may need to be disclosed because of safety concerns or legal obligations
Will meetings be recorded?
A meeting may be recorded or transcribed only where this is lawful and the required consent has been obtained by all attendees of the meeting.
Where recording is agreed, we explain its purpose, who can access it, how it will be stored and how it may be used. Recordings may assist with accurate meeting summaries, action lists, decisions and continuity between authorised team members.
Does Family.Reimagined provide legal advice?
Family.Reimagined itself is not a law firm and does not provide shared legal advice to both adults.
Each adult has access to their own independent family lawyer. That lawyer acts only for their individual client, provides confidential advice and helps them understand the legal implications of proposed parenting or financial arrangements.
Family.Reimagined may coordinate the timing of legal input, but it does not receive or control either adult’s confidential legal advice.
Taking the Next Step
What happens during the introductory conversation?
The free introductory conversation is an opportunity to tell us briefly what is happening, learn how Family.Reimagined works and consider whether the service may be suitable.
You do not need to have all your documents ready or know what final arrangements you want. The conversation does not commit you or your former partner to joining the program.
What happens after we decide to proceed?
We will explain the proposed service, responsibilities, information-sharing arrangements, fees and initial steps before asking you to sign the relevant agreements.
The early stages generally focus on understanding the family’s circumstances, identifying urgent needs, establishing communication arrangements and developing a roadmap for the transition.
What if Family.Reimagined is not suitable for our family?
We will be honest if we believe the service is not appropriate or if another form of help is needed first.
Depending on the circumstances, this may include independent legal advice, Family Dispute Resolution, financial advice, counselling, specialist family-violence support, child-focused services, emergency assistance or court processes.
Where possible, we will help you understand the most appropriate next step.
How do I book an initial conversation?
You can book a free, confidential 45-minute introductory conversation directly through our online calendar. We will listen to what is happening, explain how Family.Reimagined works and help you consider whether the service is suitable for your family.
Your next step, explained
Straight answers about how the service works and what happens after you book.