How the calculator works
The tool follows the Family Law Act framework step by step — from identifying assets through to draft consent order language. Here is what each tab does and what you need to use it.
Before you start
You don’t need exact figures to begin. Estimates are useful and can be updated. The goal of the first session is usually to understand the shape of the picture, not to produce a final legal document.
🏠 Property
Estimated market value (recent comparable sale or agent appraisal is fine) and the current mortgage balance from your latest statement. Include investment properties too.
💼 Superannuation
The member balance from the most recent statement for both parties. If you don’t have the other party’s figure, use your best estimate. Defined benefit or SMSF? Flag it — see the FAQ.
💳 Everything else
Bank account balances, vehicle values, share portfolios, business interests, and significant debts (personal loans, car finance, credit cards). Rough figures are fine to start.
The five tabs, explained
Asset Pool
This is where you build the complete financial picture. Use the left sidebar to add every asset and liability for both parties. Each item appears instantly in the pool table in the main panel, with gross value, liability (mortgage/finance), net equity, current owner, and an allocation dropdown.
The right-hand live panel updates continuously showing total gross assets, total liabilities, net asset pool, and the current split bar. You can see the overall picture changing in real time as you add items.
Asset categories available:
- Real property — family home, investment properties, land. Mortgage tied to each property.
- Motor vehicles — include finance owing
- Bank accounts — savings, offset, term deposits
- Superannuation — one fund per entry, both parties. Warning displays for super splitting procedure requirements.
- Investments & shares — share portfolios, managed funds, crypto
- Business interests — enter the agreed or estimated valuation
- Other assets — anything of significant value not covered above
- Other liabilities — credit cards, personal loans, HECS/HELP debt (mortgages sit with the property)
🔒 Tip: load the worked example (Mitchell & Mitchell — a fictional 15-year marriage with all asset types) to see a fully populated tool before entering your own data.
Contributions
The contributions tab models the four contribution types recognised under s.79(4) of the Family Law Act, expressed as a percentage for each party:
- Initial financial contributions — assets brought into the relationship (deposits, inheritances, pre-relationship savings)
- Ongoing financial contributions — income earned during the relationship, mortgage repayments, ongoing expenses
- Non-financial contributions — renovations, unpaid work in a family business, other non-cash contributions
- Homemaker & parent contributions — homemaking, child-rearing, supporting a partner’s career
Each contribution type has a configurable weight (how much it influences the final split). The tool calculates a weighted contribution-based split percentage and displays the calculation chain clearly so you can see exactly how the number is derived.
You can also enter the relationship duration here — longer relationships tend to weight ongoing contributions more heavily than initial contributions.
Future Needs
After contributions are assessed, the Family Law Act requires the court to consider whether the split should be adjusted for future needs. This tab models those adjustments per s.75(2) (married) and s.90SF(3) (de facto).
Factors you can model:
- Age and health of each party
- Income and earning capacity — current income and capacity to earn going forward
- Primary care of children — whether one party has primary or majority care, affecting their earning capacity and expenses
- Income support — whether either party is on government income support
- Manual adjustment — override capability for circumstances not captured by the model
The future needs tab shows a clear calculation chain — the contribution-based split, the adjustment amount, and the final adjusted split percentage. This transparency is intentional: you should be able to explain every step.
Division
With a target split percentage established, the Division tab is where you allocate each asset to each party and see how the actual allocation compares to the target.
Allocation is done via the “Allocate To” dropdown on each asset item in the sidebar (or the pool table). Options are: Person A, Person B, Sell/Split (for properties to be sold, with a configurable percentage split of proceeds), or Unallocated.
The Division tab shows:
- Total allocated to each party by asset category
- Each party’s actual share as a percentage of the pool
- The balance remaining to reach the target split
- A visual split bar comparing actual vs target
This is where the real scenario modelling happens. Try: Person A keeps the house, Person B gets more super. Or: property sold, cash split. Compare both to see which gets closer to the target split and is practically achievable for each party.
Orders
The Orders tab generates draft consent order language based on your allocation. This is a structured drafting aid — it uses the party names, asset descriptions, addresses, lender names and allocation decisions you have entered to produce order-style language covering:
- Transfer of real property and discharge of mortgage
- Superannuation splitting orders (with the required procedural notes)
- Bank account and investment transfers
- Vehicle transfers
- Liability assignments
- Liberty to apply provisions
You can copy the text to clipboard or export a court-formatted PDF. The PDF export includes the full asset schedule, split calculation, allocation summary, and the draft orders.
The live right panel
On desktop, a live summary panel on the right side of the calculator updates as you work.
Pool summary
Total gross assets, total liabilities, and net asset pool — updates with every entry. This is the number the split percentages are applied to.
Target split
The split percentage derived from your contributions and future-needs inputs, shown as a live bar and dollar values for each party. This is what you’re trying to achieve in the allocation.
Checklist
A validation panel that flags missing information, unallocated assets, or procedural notes (e.g. super splitting service requirements). Helps you spot gaps before exporting.
What to do with the output
Brief your lawyer
Arrive with a structured asset schedule, a contribution history and a proposed allocation. Your first legal session becomes strategy, not fact-gathering. Family lawyers typically charge $400–700/hr — arrive prepared.
Use it in mediation
Share the PDF with both parties before a mediation session. A common starting point for the numbers reduces early dispute time and focuses discussion on resolution.
Stress-test scenarios
Run multiple allocations. Save or screenshot each. Bring the scenario comparison to negotiation. Showing the numbers for each option is often more persuasive than asserting a position.
Ready to start?
Load the worked example to see the tool in action, or start entering your own numbers. Free to use — no account needed.