Maybe you've just separated and don't know where the children should live. Maybe you're frightened in your own home tonight. Maybe a relationship-property argument is about to cost you the house. New Zealand family law runs on real thresholds and timeframes — a two-year separation before a marriage can be dissolved, a three-year line that decides whether your property is split 50/50, a without-notice protection order a judge can grant within 24 to 48 hours — and getting one wrong can change where your kids live or what you walk away with. Before you sign anything or agree to anything, get the facts. Our free service gives you legal information about New Zealand family law in plain English, in your language. This is general legal information, not legal advice — and there's no charge.
Free legal information. Not legal advice. Available 24/7 across Manawatū-Whanganui.
If you are in immediate danger, call 111 now and ask for the Police — they can issue a Police Safety Order on the spot and help you apply for protection. For longer-term safety, you can apply to the Palmerston North Family Court for a protection order under the Family Violence Act 2018; if a judge accepts it is urgent, a temporary order can be made "without notice" — before the other person is even told — usually within 24 to 48 hours, and it becomes final by law three months later unless they object. If your issue is about the children, in most cases you must try Family Dispute Resolution (FDR) before you can apply to the Family Court for a parenting order — and since 1 July 2025 FDR mediation is free through Fair Way Resolution. If your marriage has ended, you need to have been living apart for two years before you can apply for a dissolution. Get the facts on which path is yours before a deadline passes — our free service walks you through it, any hour, in your language.
Here is what blindsides people in Manawatū-Whanganui. First, the three-year line: if your relationship — married or de facto — has lasted three years or more, the Property (Relationships) Act splits relationship property 50/50, including the family home, no matter whose name is on the title. People sign things, move out, or "agree" to give up the house without realising the law would have given them half. Second, the two-year wait: a New Zealand marriage cannot be dissolved until you have lived apart for two years, and you cannot shorten it just because you both want out (the one new exception, from October 2025, is for survivors of family violence). And third, on the children: in most cases you must complete free Family Dispute Resolution mediation before the Family Court will even hear a parenting-order application — skip it and your application can stall. You don't have to work out which rule is biting you alone. Get free legal information first, any hour, in your language — before a line you didn't know existed decides the outcome.
If you can't afford a lawyer or want to handle part of this yourself, New Zealand has strong free and low-cost help — and much of it is right here in Manawatū-Whanganui. Start with these, and reach out to us free any time if you want to talk it through.
Who decides where my children live after we separate?
You and the other parent can agree your own parenting arrangements — that's encouraged. If you can't agree, the Palmerston North Family Court can make a parenting order under the Care of Children Act 2004 deciding who provides day-to-day care and who has contact, always on what is in the child's welfare and best interests. In most non-urgent cases you must first try Family Dispute Resolution mediation, which is now free. Reach out and we'll explain the steps for your situation in plain English.
What's the difference between 'custody' and 'day-to-day care'?
They mean roughly the same thing, but New Zealand stopped using the words "custody" and "access" in 2004. The current terms under the Care of Children Act 2004 are "day-to-day care" (where the child mainly lives) and "contact" (time with the other parent). Both parents are usually still guardians who share the big decisions — schooling, health, where the child lives. Reach out free and we'll explain how these apply to you.
How is our property divided when we split up?
Under the Property (Relationships) Act 1976, if your relationship lasted three years or more, relationship property is split equally — 50/50 — including the family home and chattels, no matter whose name is on the title. What you owned before the relationship, and most gifts and inheritances, is usually separate property that stays with you. A valid contracting-out (section 21) agreement can change this. For how the line falls in your case, reach out free, any time.
Does the three-year rule apply to de facto couples too?
Yes. A de facto relationship of three years or more is treated like a marriage for equal sharing under the Property (Relationships) Act 1976. For de facto relationships shorter than three years the Act usually doesn't apply — but it still can if there's a child of the relationship, or if one partner made a substantial contribution and it would be a serious injustice not to make an order. Reach out free and we'll help you work out whether you're caught by the rule.
How long do I have to wait to get divorced in New Zealand?
You must have been living apart for two years before you can apply for a dissolution order under the Family Proceedings Act 1980. New Zealand is no-fault, so you don't prove who caused the breakup — living apart for two years is the proof that the marriage has broken down irreconcilably. You can't shorten the two years just by both agreeing. Since October 2025, survivors of family violence can apply without the full wait. Reach out free to check where your dates fall.
I'm scared of my partner — how do I get protection tonight?
If you're in immediate danger, call 111 and ask for the Police now — they can issue a Police Safety Order on the spot. For longer protection, you can apply to the Palmerston North Family Court for a protection order under the Family Violence Act 2018. If a judge agrees it's urgent, a temporary order can be made "without notice" — before the other person is told — usually within 24 to 48 hours. Reach out free, any hour, and we'll explain the protection-order process step by step.
What does a protection order actually do?
A protection order under the Family Violence Act 2018 can stop the other person from contacting you, coming near you or your home or workplace, and from being violent or threatening — and it can cover your children and other family. A temporary order made without notice becomes a final order by law three months later unless the respondent objects and asks for a hearing. Breaching a protection order is a criminal offence the Police can act on. Reach out free to understand how it works in your case.
Do I have to go to court to sort out the children?
Usually not as a first step. In most cases you must attempt Family Dispute Resolution (FDR) mediation before you can apply for a parenting order, and most parents are expected to complete the free Parenting Through Separation course first. Since 1 July 2025, FDR mediation is free through Fair Way Resolution. Court is generally a last resort when agreement isn't possible — though urgent safety cases can go to court straight away. Reach out free and we'll point you to the right starting point.
How much does Family Dispute Resolution cost?
Since 1 July 2025, FDR mediation is free for anyone who needs it through Fair Way Resolution. It's designed to help separated parents agree a parenting plan without going to court. It may not be suitable where there has been family violence, or if a party is in prison or overseas — a mediator assesses that first. Reach out free and we'll explain how to access FDR in Manawatū-Whanganui.
Can I get legal aid for a family case?
You may qualify for family legal aid depending on your income, your assets and the merits of your case. Importantly, legal aid is a loan — you may have to repay some or all of it depending on what you earn, what property you own, or what you receive from the case. The Manawatū Community Law Centre can also help for free. Reach out and we'll explain your free and low-cost options in plain English.
Is this service free and confidential — and can you help in my language?
Yes — reaching out for legal information is free, and we can help in your language. To be clear about what it is: we give general legal information about New Zealand family law, not legal advice, and contacting us creates no lawyer-client relationship — we are not a law firm. If your case needs a lawyer, we can point you to the free Manawatū Community Law Centre, legal aid, or a paid consultation with a local family lawyer. Reach out any time.
Are you a New Zealand-qualified family lawyer practising in Palmerston North, Whanganui, Levin, Feilding or the wider Manawatū-Whanganui region? We help people across the region with care of children, relationship property, dissolution and family-violence matters, and after they've had clear legal information we can connect those who want a lawyer with local counsel. If you'd like to receive matched, consultation-ready enquiries in your area and practice, join our network. This is a path for lawyers only and does not change the free, no-obligation help we give the public.
General legal information, not legal advice. We research every page from primary sources — legislation, the courts, and government legal-aid bodies — and check it for accuracy. Spotted something out of date? Tell us at admin@platfirm.ai.
Whether you've just separated, you're worried about your children, or you need protection tonight, New Zealand family law turns on real lines — a three-year property rule, a two-year dissolution wait, free mediation you may have to do first, an urgent protection order a judge can grant in a day. The sooner you understand which one applies to you, the more options you keep. Reach out now — it's free, in plain English, in your language. You'll get clear legal information about your situation in Manawatū-Whanganui, with no charge and no lawyer-client relationship, and if you want a lawyer we can point you to free local help or a paid consultation. If you or your children are in danger, call 111 first.
Free legal information. Not legal advice.