Independent actuarial superannuation reports for family law matters
Don't split your super 50/50 without valuing what you brought in.See what it could cost you →
Actuarial clarity for family law superannuation

Superannuation reports for separation, mediation and settlement.

We calculate superannuation balances, pre-relationship super, actual investment growth and benchmark estimates for separating couples, family lawyers and mediators.

General information only. We do not provide legal advice, financial product advice or superannuation product recommendations.

  • 1
    Brought-in super analysis
    Estimate what opening super grew to by separation.
  • 2
    Actual or benchmark returns
    Use actual fund data where available, or transparent benchmark estimates.
  • 3
    Mediation-ready reports
    Plain-English summaries with technical appendices.
  • 4
    Expert-witness style
    Independence, assumptions, methodology and limitations clearly stated.
FCFCOA Code of Conduct compliant
7–10 business day turnaround
Court-ready expert reports
Fixed-fee from A$880
Authored by professional actuaries

Every report is signed by a qualified actuary with expert-witness credentials in superannuation.

Not a template. Not a paralegal spreadsheet. Our valuations are prepared and signed by Fellows and Associates of the Actuaries Institute of Australia who specialise in superannuation, hold expert-witness experience in the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia, and comply with the FCFCOA Expert Witness Code of Conduct (Family Law Rules 2021, Chapter 7).

Qualified actuaries

Fellows / Associates of the Actuaries Institute of Australia.

Expert-witness credentialled

Reports prepared to FCFCOA Code of Conduct standard.

Superannuation specialists

Accumulation, defined benefit, SMSF and hybrid schemes.

Independent & defensible

Methodology, assumptions and limitations stated upfront.

The problem we solve

Not all superannuation is matrimonial property.

What a party brought into the relationship — plus the investment return that balance would have earned — is generally excluded from the asset pool. Without an actuarial calculation, parties either over-share or under-share. We provide the number, defensibly.

What Australian courts actually say

The super you brought in is a section 79(4)(a) initial contribution.

There is no fixed formula — but there is a settled body of authority. The Court accepts evidenced, grossed-up valuations of pre-relationship super as a direct financial contribution. Vague assertions don't move mediators or registrars. Numbers do.

Hickey & Hickey [2003] FamCA 395

The four-step framework starts with identifying the property pool — including super.

Coghlan & Coghlan [2005] FamCA 429

Super can be treated as a separate pool where contributions are materially disproportionate.

Charney & Charney [2009] FamCA 751

Actuarial roll-forward of pre-cohabitation super to separation date is judicially accepted.

Pierce & Pierce (1999) FLC 92-844

Initial contributions weighed in the context of the whole relationship — not 'frozen in time'.

Holland & Holland [2017] FamCAFC 166

The Court must give 'full weight' to a properly evidenced initial contribution.

Jabour & Jabour [2019] FamCAFC 78

Modern Full Court authority endorsing two-pool, asset-by-asset super treatment.

The cost of guessing

A $1,650 report routinely shifts settlements by tens of thousands.

The single most common — and most expensive — mistake in family law is splitting current super balances 50/50 without first valuing what each party brought in, in today's dollars. Compounding does the damage silently.

$50k → $215k

What $50,000 of super in 2003 is worth in 2025 at 7% net p.a.

4–5×

How much most people undersell their pre-relationship balance by.

0

Number of times a vague assertion has won a contested super argument.

Three pathways

One defensible number for every matter.

All services
01

Actual-history valuation

Where statements are available, we trace contributions and investment returns from cohabitation to separation, isolating the pre-relationship component grossed up by actual fund performance.

02

Benchmark estimate

Where records are missing, we apply our Balance Benchmark Rating — a fund-and-cohort matched estimate using APRA returns and ATO contribution histories.

03

Expert witness report

Court-format reports compliant with the Family Court Expert Witness Code of Conduct, suitable for mediation, conciliation conferences and contested hearings.

Process

From instruction to signed report — under two weeks.

Engagement is fixed-fee, scoped on the first call, and confirmed by retainer letter the same day. We work directly with parties, lawyers and mediators.

01
Instruction
Letter of engagement, scope, fixed fee.
02
Disclosure
Statements, Form 6 disclosures and s 90 information.
03
Calculation
Actuarial reconstruction of pre-cohabitation balance and growth.
04
Report
Signed expert report delivered as PDF and bound copy.

Bring clarity before mediation.

Most matters can be scoped on a 15-minute call. Reports are typically ready within 7–10 business days from receipt of complete information.