> ## 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.

# Who RYTZ is for

> RYTZ is built for self-represented and partly-represented parents in Australian family-law matters. A clearer picture of where the platform fits — and where you should engage a lawyer first.

import { Card, CardGroup } from '@mintlify/components'

RYTZ helps the most when you're somewhere on this spectrum:

> *I want to handle as much of this myself as I can, but I want to do it properly — and I want to know when to bring in a lawyer.*

If that sounds like you, you're in the right place. The platform is designed for parents who are:

* Negotiating with the other party directly, with or without professional support
* Preparing for or attending Family Dispute Resolution
* Drafting their own parenting plan or property settlement
* Preparing to file (or respond to) an Application for Consent Orders
* Working alongside a lawyer to keep costs manageable
* Already in court proceedings and need a structured way to track their matter

## Who RYTZ is *not* for

There are situations where RYTZ should not be your starting point. Engage a qualified Australian family lawyer first if:

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Active safety risk" icon="shield-exclamation">
    If you or your children are at immediate risk of family violence, contact **000** (police) or **1800RESPECT** (1800 737 732). Stand up the safety pathway before anything else.
  </Card>

  <Card title="International relocation in dispute" icon="plane">
    Hague Convention matters are technically complex and time-critical. Get specialist advice within days, not weeks.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Child protection involvement" icon="user-shield">
    If a state child-protection authority is involved, the dynamics shift substantially. You need a lawyer with that specific experience.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Multi-jurisdiction or overseas asset matters" icon="earth-oceania">
    If significant assets sit overseas, or if one party lives outside Australia, the complexity quickly outpaces the platform's general framework.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

You can still use RYTZ alongside a lawyer in any of these situations — it just shouldn't be your *only* resource.

## What "self-represented" actually means in Australia

In Australian family-law parlance, a Self-Represented Litigant (SRL) is anyone appearing in (or preparing to appear in) the Federal Circuit and Family Court without legal representation.

You're an SRL whether you:

* Have never spoken to a lawyer about your matter
* Have had one consultation but aren't engaging anyone for ongoing work
* Are doing 90% of the work yourself with a lawyer reviewing key documents

The court actively designs around SRLs — you'll see Self-Represented Litigant guides on the court's website, and registrars will explain procedural matters to you. But the substantive law is still the substantive law. A judge won't lower the standard of evidence because you don't have a lawyer.

That's where RYTZ fits: **closing the substantive-law gap** — the framework, the legal reasoning, the document craft — so you can self-represent at a higher standard than most SRLs do.

## Realistic outcomes you can expect

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="A clear, structured parenting plan" icon="check">
    The Parenting Planner produces a document that wouldn't be out of place attached to an Application for Consent Orders. Most people we hear from get to a plan they're proud to share within a few sittings.
  </Card>

  <Card title="A defensible property-pool position" icon="check">
    The Settlement Planner walks the s79 four-step process and surfaces the contributions arguments + future-needs adjustments the court will consider. You'll arrive at FDR or settlement conferences knowing your numbers.
  </Card>

  <Card title="A grasp of where your matter sits" icon="check">
    The Case Roadmap tracks where you are in the FCFCOA process and what typically comes next. You'll never wonder "what's the next step" again.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Confidence in lawyer conversations" icon="check">
    When you do engage a lawyer (and most users eventually do for at least one piece), you'll arrive prepared. That alone often saves several thousand dollars in initial-consult time.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## Honest limits

We owe you transparency about what RYTZ doesn't do well today:

* **Bespoke advice** — RYTZ provides legal information grounded in primary sources. It does not advise on what *you specifically* should do.
* **Court appearances** — RYTZ doesn't represent you in court. It can prepare your materials and walk you through what to expect, but you (or your lawyer) appear.
* **Negotiation with the other party** — RYTZ produces the document; you (or your lawyer) negotiate with the other side.
* **Bespoke contract drafting** — RYTZ has structured templates. Anything truly bespoke (unusual asset structures, complex family business arrangements, blended family asset trusts) needs a lawyer.

We're upfront about this so you can use the platform for what it's designed for and engage other resources for what it isn't.

## Next

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Your first hour on RYTZ" icon="clock" href="/getting-started/your-first-hour">
    The most useful sequence for a brand-new account.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Setting up your case file" icon="folder-plus" href="/getting-started/setting-up-your-case-file">
    Walks you through the Master Case File intake, field by field.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>