No, they are not the same thing. A divorce is the formal order ending the marriage where as a property settlement relates to the division of assets and liabilities and how that should occur. It’s possible to do them together, or separately. Importantly, once you are divorced, you only have 12 months to commence property proceedings, after which you’ll need special permission from the Court to do so.
Chris Cunningham
Simmons Wolfhagen
Partner
work +61 03 6226 1200
chris.cunningham@simwolf.com.au
http://www.simmonswolfhagen.com.au