Most actuarial practices treat family law superannuation as a sideline. We treat it as the entire practice — and that focus is what produces tighter, more defensible valuations.
FamilyLawSuper.com.au is a specialist offering of TCW Actuarial. Reports are signed by Yiannis (John) Tellyros, Associate of the Actuaries Institute of Australia (AIAA) and Consulting Actuary, with peer review on defined-benefit and SMSF certificate work by Dr Gaurav Khemka. Both actuaries hold current Public Practice Certificates and combined experience exceeds two decades across the accumulation, defined-benefit and self-managed sectors.
The practice was established because separating couples and the family lawyers who advise them deserved more than a generic superannuation valuation form. They needed a specialist who could isolate what each party brought into the relationship, project it forward through real fund returns, and stand behind that calculation if it was tested in court.
We take instructions from either party, jointly from both, or from family lawyers and mediators. We do not take ongoing referral fees or retainers from any law firm. Every report carries an explicit declaration of independence and complies with the FCFCOA Expert Witness Code of Conduct (FCFCOA (Family Law) Rules 2021, Chapter 7).
The practice carries professional indemnity insurance and is covered by the Actuaries Institute Professional Standards Scheme (liability limited by a scheme approved under Professional Standards Legislation). See our conflicts protocol and terms of engagement.
Credentials & experience
Each item below is verifiable through the Actuaries Institute, the Court, or the regulatory framework cited. We invite — and expect — instructing solicitors to check before briefing.
Years valuing retirement-savings interests
Family law super valuations completed
Reports compliant with FCFCOA Code of Conduct
Referral fees, kickbacks or retainers from law firms
Associate of the Actuaries Institute of Australia (AIAA)
Full member of Australia's professional body for actuaries, holding a current Public Practice Certificate. Maintained through continuing professional development and adherence to the Institute's Code of Professional Conduct.
Verify FellowshipConsulting Actuary, Actuaries Institute of Australia
Accreditation for actuaries providing public consulting advice. Subject to additional professional standards, CPD and peer-review obligations.
Practice Standard PS 200 — Actuarial Advice to a Court
Every expert report is prepared in accordance with the Institute's mandatory standard for actuarial evidence given to a court or tribunal — including independence, scope, methodology disclosure and qualification of opinions.
Read PS 200FCFCOA Expert Witness Code of Conduct compliant
Reports comply with Schedule 7 of the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia (Family Law) Rules 2021. The expert's paramount duty is to the Court, overriding any obligation to the instructing party.
FCFCOA Practice DirectionLiability limited by a scheme approved under Professional Standards Legislation
Members of the Actuaries Institute Professional Standards Scheme carry capped liability and are required to hold professional indemnity insurance commensurate with their practice.
Pre-cohabitation balance reconstruction from member statements, ATO MyGov contribution histories, APRA Heatmap return series and fund-published crediting rates. Roll-forward at the actual net-of-fees return of the specific investment option held — not generic CPI or balanced-fund proxies.
Schedule 2 of the Family Law (Superannuation) Regulations 2001 valuations across CSS, PSS, PSSap, MilitarySuper, GESB Gold State, QSuper Defined Benefit, UniSuper Defined Benefit Division and corporate DB schemes — including pension-in-payment matters with multiple candidate valuation dates.
Member-account reconstruction in SMSF environments, treatment of in-specie contributions, segregated/unsegregated tax positions, and reconciliation against trustee-prepared financial statements and SMSF auditor reports.
| Authority | Citation | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Stanford v Stanford | (2012) 247 CLR 108 | Just-and-equitable threshold framing the discretion under s.79. |
| Hickey & Hickey | [2003] FamCA 395 | Authority for the s 79 sequential analysis — our reports supply the quantified evidence at the s 79(4) contribution-assessment stage. |
| Coghlan & Coghlan | (2005) FLC 93-220 | Two-pool approach: superannuation may be treated as a separate species of property. |
| Pierce v Pierce | (1999) FLC 92-844 | Initial-contribution principles applied to long cohabitation periods. |
| Calvin & McTier | [2017] FamCAFC 125 | Post-separation acquisitions and contribution weighting at the s 79(4) stage. |
A fuller authorities library is published at /case-law-library.