FCFCOA stages — full detail

Documentation Index

Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://help.rytz.com.au/llms.txt

Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

This page walks every stage of the FCFCOA process in turn, with what happens, what you prepare, and where to find help on the platform.

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Stage 1 — Pre-action

What happens: Before any application can be filed in the FCFCOA, parties must follow the pre-action procedures. For parenting matters, this includes attempting Family Dispute Resolution (s60I) and obtaining an FDR certificate. For property matters, it includes complying with the disclosure obligations under the Family Law Rules. Typical timeline: 4–12 weeks (longer if FDR is delayed or the other party is uncooperative). What you prepare:

• Genuine attempts at negotiation (in writing, kept on file)
• s60I certificate from an accredited FDR practitioner (parenting)
• Disclosure documents (financial statements, tax returns, super statements, valuation reports)
• A draft parenting plan (use the Parenting Planner)
• A settlement analysis (use the Settlement Planner)

Platform support:

• Parenting Planner produces the plan
• Settlement Planner builds the property analysis
• AI assistant explains FDR and the s60I requirements
• Case Roadmap pre-action checklist

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Stage 2 — Application

What happens: If pre-action attempts haven’t resolved the matter, one party files an Initiating Application. This includes:

• Initiating Application form
• Affidavit explaining the facts
• Notice of Risk (mandatory in parenting matters)
• Genuine Steps Certificate (confirming pre-action procedures were attempted)
• Filing fee — current rates on the FCFCOA fees page, gazetted annually each 1 July. Reduced fees available for Centrelink concession card holders and parties in financial hardship (see Fee Exemption form).

The other party is then served and has time (usually 28 days) to file a Response. Typical timeline: 4–6 weeks from filing to first court event. What you prepare:

• The forms themselves (FCFCOA self-help kits available)
• Your supporting affidavit
• The pre-action documents already prepared

Platform support:

• Document Intelligence can analyse the other party’s filed documents
• AI assistant explains the form structure and the affidavit requirements

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Stage 3 — Procedural orders

What happens: At the first court event (usually a procedural hearing before a registrar), the court sets directions for how the matter proceeds. Common directions include:

• Exchange of disclosure documents by a specified date
• Attendance at FDR or a conciliation conference
• Filing of any expert reports (valuations, family-report writers)
• Filing of further affidavit evidence

Typical timeline: 3–6 months for full procedural compliance. What you prepare:

• Compliance with each direction (disclosure on time, FDR attendance, etc.)
• Attendance at any directions hearings
• Any expert reports the court has ordered

Platform support:

• Document Intelligence to organise disclosure
• Case Roadmap surfaces what’s coming next

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Stage 4 — Mediation / FDR

What happens: Court-referred FDR or conciliation conference. The mediator works with both parties to find an agreed resolution. The conference is confidential — what’s said cannot be used as evidence at trial. If the matter resolves: Consent Orders are drafted and filed. Stage 7. If the matter doesn’t resolve: the next stage (trial preparation) begins. Typical timeline: A single FDR session is usually a half-day or full day. Multiple sessions may be needed. What you prepare:

• Your structured proposal (parenting plan, settlement analysis)
• Your bottom line (what you can and can’t accept)
• Genuine flexibility to compromise

Platform support:

• Plan readiness (Solicitor-review-ready tier) for FDR-quality plans
• Settlement Planner My Offers tab tracks the negotiation
• AI assistant for “what’s reasonable in this situation” framing

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Stage 5 — Trial preparation

What happens: If FDR doesn’t resolve the matter, the case heads toward final hearing. Trial preparation involves:

• Final affidavits (the evidence you’ll rely on at trial)
• Exchange of any further documents
• Subpoenas (where you need to compel third parties to produce documents or attend)
• Witness lists
• Outline of submissions

Typical timeline: 6–12 months between procedural orders and trial. What you prepare: Substantial. Most SRLs engage a lawyer at this stage, even if they’ve self-represented earlier. Platform support:

• Document Intelligence for organising your evidence
• AI assistant for understanding admissibility + relevance
• Strongly recommend engaging a family lawyer for trial preparation

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Stage 6 — Final hearing

What happens: The trial. The judge hears evidence, parties (or their lawyers) cross-examine, closing submissions are made. Judgment may be delivered immediately or reserved for weeks/months. Typical timeline: The hearing itself is usually 1–5 days. Judgment can take weeks to months. What you prepare: Everything from stage 5, refined. Platform support:

• Limited — final hearings are squarely within professional-representation territory
• AI assistant can explain procedure and what to expect
• Strongly recommend representation at the hearing itself

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Stage 7 — Post-orders

What happens: Orders are made (by consent at stage 4 or after final hearing at stage 6). The matter is now “closed”. But:

• Variation — orders can be varied if circumstances change significantly (s65DAAA — Rice v Asplund threshold)
• Contravention — if the other party breaches the orders, the contravention regime under Part XIV applies
• Enforcement — financial orders can be enforced through standard debt-recovery mechanisms

What you prepare: Compliance with the orders. A diary of any breaches by the other party (date, time, what happened, what you did about it). Updated case-file records as circumstances change. Platform support:

• Rice v Asplund readiness check (Beyond the Plan in the Parenting Planner)
• Document Intelligence for analysing any new orders or proceedings
• AI assistant for variation and contravention questions

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Where the platform shines

The Case Roadmap is most useful at stages 1–4. That’s the realm of structured negotiation, drafting, and FDR — exactly what RYTZ is built for. For stages 5–6 (trial preparation and final hearing), the platform is supportive but not primary. You’ll want a family lawyer. Stage 7 (post-orders) is where the platform gets useful again — most variation and contravention applications start with a fresh structured analysis, which is what RYTZ does.

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