Client stories.

Keeping the family home after separation

Sarah (not her real name) came to Lendology after separating from her partner of 12 years. They had a jointly owned home in Adelaide's inner south worth approximately $850,000 with a $420,000 mortgage. Sarah wanted to keep the home for stability - her children were settled in the local school.

Her partner's equity share was approximately $215,000. Sarah needed to refinance the existing $420,000 mortgage plus the $215,000 buyout - a total of $635,000 - on her single income of $95,000.

Jason assessed Sarah's borrowing capacity across our full lender panel. Two major banks declined based on their serviceability models. A third lender - one that assessed child support received as income and had a more favourable expense benchmark - approved the full amount at a competitive rate.

Buying independently after divorce

Mark came to Lendology six months after his divorce was finalised. He had received $180,000 from the property settlement and wanted to buy a modest home in Adelaide's southern suburbs to be close to his children.

His income was $78,000 and he was paying $1,200 per month in child support. Most lenders assessed this as a significant liability, limiting his borrowing to around $320,000. Steve identified a lender with a more favourable child support treatment that assessed his capacity at $395,000 - enough for a property in his target area.

Self-employed and separating

Lisa ran a small business and was going through a separation where both the family home and a jointly-owned investment property needed to be resolved. The complexity: her income was variable, the investment loan was interest-only, and her partner wanted a clean break - meaning both properties needed to be refinanced or sold within 90 days.

Jason structured the solution: sell the investment property (which had strong equity), use the proceeds to reduce the family home mortgage, then refinance the reduced balance into Lisa's sole name using a lender experienced with self-employed income.

Buying out a former partner with limited equity

Rachel and her former partner had purchased their home in Aberfoyle Park only three years earlier. Property values in the area had grown modestly, but they still owed $510,000 on a home now worth approximately $620,000. Rachel's partner wanted his share of equity - roughly $55,000 - paid out quickly so he could move interstate.

Rachel earned $88,000 as a nurse and received $400 per week in child support for two children. The challenge was that refinancing the full $565,000 (existing loan plus buyout) pushed the LVR above 80%, meaning Lenders Mortgage Insurance would apply. Jason found a lender that counted child support as assessable income and offered an LMI waiver for healthcare professionals - eliminating the $12,000 LMI premium entirely.

Separating without being married

James and his former partner had been in a de facto relationship for eight years. They owned a home together in Plympton worth $730,000 with $340,000 remaining on the mortgage. Without a marriage certificate, James was unsure whether the same property settlement rules applied.

Jason explained that under the Family Law Act, de facto couples have the same property settlement rights as married couples - provided the relationship was at least two years in duration or there are children involved. James's solicitor prepared a Binding Financial Agreement. Jason then refinanced the mortgage into James's sole name, using his $115,000 income as an IT project manager.

The key was timing. James's solicitor needed the BFA executed before settlement could proceed, and the lender needed the BFA before issuing unconditional approval. Jason coordinated both timelines to ensure neither party was waiting on the other.

Starting over on a single parent payment

Tina was a stay-at-home mum for six years before her marriage ended. She had no employment income and was receiving the single parent payment plus Family Tax Benefit. Her settlement included $240,000 in cash. She wanted to buy a small unit close to her family in the northern suburbs so she would have support while the children were young.

Most lenders declined immediately - Centrelink income alone rarely meets serviceability requirements for a loan of meaningful size. Steve assessed Tina's full income picture: Parenting Payment Single ($900 per fortnight), Family Tax Benefit Part A ($580 per fortnight), and child support received ($600 per month). Combined, this was approximately $57,000 per year. With her $240,000 deposit targeting properties around $380,000, the loan required was only $140,000.

Steve found a lender that accepted government benefits as assessable income and was comfortable with the low LVR (37%). The small loan amount relative to income made serviceability straightforward once the right lender was identified.

Refinancing before consent orders were finalised

David and his wife had agreed on the property split informally but the consent orders were still being drafted by their solicitors. David was keeping the family home in Mitcham (valued at $920,000, mortgage $390,000) and needed to pay his wife $265,000 for her share. His wife had already found a rental and wanted the money quickly - but David's solicitor said the consent orders would take another 6-8 weeks.

Most major banks require consent orders or a Binding Financial Agreement before they will process a separation refinance. Jason identified a lender that would accept a signed separation agreement as interim evidence, with the consent orders to be provided post-settlement. This allowed David to proceed with the refinance immediately while the legal paperwork was finalised in the background.

Clearing separation debt and starting clean

Angela had accumulated $42,000 in credit card and personal loan debt during a difficult two-year separation. She had been using credit to cover living expenses while contributing to the joint mortgage on a property she no longer lived in. Now that the property had sold and she had received her $195,000 settlement, she wanted to buy a home and consolidate the debts at the same time.

Jason structured the loan to include the $42,000 debt consolidation on top of the purchase price. Angela's target property was $480,000 in the western suburbs. With her $195,000 deposit, the total loan (purchase plus consolidation) was $327,000 - a conservative 68% LVR. The consolidation reduced Angela's monthly outgoings from $2,400 in combined debt repayments to zero, which also improved her serviceability. Her credit cards were closed at settlement as a condition of the loan.

Parents helping their daughter buy after separation

Emma received $85,000 from her property settlement - not enough for a 20% deposit on the kind of home she needed for herself and her three children. She earned $72,000 working part-time as a teacher, with plans to return to full-time once her youngest started school. Her parents wanted to help but did not have cash to give.

Steve structured a family guarantee where Emma's parents provided their own home as additional security. This allowed Emma to borrow 100% of the purchase price without paying LMI. The guarantee was limited to $120,000 - enough to cover the deposit shortfall - and would be released once Emma's property reached 80% LVR through a combination of repayments and property value growth.

Steve explained the risks to Emma's parents separately, in a meeting without Emma present, so they could ask questions freely. He also recommended they get independent legal advice before signing - which they did.