"Can you help me understand what all of this actually means?"

Building the financial picture

We gradually began pulling all the pieces together.

Rather than looking at each trust, company, property or document in isolation, we built a consolidated picture of the family's financial position and how the different structures fitted together.

This was particularly important because disclosure didn't arrive neatly in one complete package.

It came progressively.

Each time further information was provided, I worked with the client and her family lawyer to review it, identify what was still missing and determine what additional documents were required.

For the client, this meant she didn't have to work all of that out on her own.

She had someone she could call when another bundle of documents arrived or something didn't make sense. We could work through what was important, what needed further investigation and what could simply be put to one side.

That ongoing support became just as important as the financial analysis itself.

Looking beyond the asset pool

There was another side to the work that was much more personal.

When court proceedings required the preparation of her Financial Statement, we needed to look closely at what life actually cost.

We undertook a detailed review of her income and expenses, including the costs of running the family home, her personal expenditure and the expenses associated with caring for the children.

We then completed a detailed budgeting exercise.

For someone going through separation, this isn't simply an accounting exercise.

It requires you to stop and think about what your life looks like now, what it actually costs to live and what you may need financially going forward.

We worked through this together so the Financial Statement reflected a properly considered picture of her circumstances rather than numbers estimated under pressure.

Bringing the right people together

As the matter developed, I also worked closely with the other professionals around her.

I liaised with her family lawyer as different financial issues arose, worked with her accountant and subsequently with a new accountant she engaged.

I also introduced her to a financial adviser so she could start looking beyond the immediate family law process and think about what her financial future might look like.

For me, this is an important part of the work.

A client shouldn't have to be the person trying to translate information between her lawyer, accountant and financial adviser while simultaneously trying to navigate her own separation.

Where appropriate, I can work alongside those professionals so everyone is working from the same financial picture.

Preparing for mediation

As the matter progressed towards mediation, I prepared a comprehensive Balance Sheet setting out the asset pool and clearly identifying the various properties, businesses, trusts and companies and how they related to one another.

Something that had initially felt fragmented and difficult to understand was now laid out in a way that both the client and her legal team could work with.

The matter is still continuing, with mediation approaching, so this isn't a story where I can tell you the settlement at the end.

But there has already been an important change.

My client understands far more about her financial position than she did when we first spoke.

She understands how the pieces fit together.

She knows what information has been provided and what still needs to be addressed.

And she has a team around her to help with the next stage.