600+
5-star reviews
Hidden Crypto Assets
Managing Cryptocurrency In Family Law Matters
Crypto has to be disclosed, valued and divided in an Australian property settlement like any other asset. We help whether you hold the coins or suspect your former partner does.
Awards
Achievements
Why Cryptocurrency Matters in Property Settlements
We advise on cryptocurrency in divorce and de facto separations from our Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Gold Coast offices. Our lawyers find the holdings, work out what they’re worth and split them without an avoidable tax bill. Your first step is a free, confidential consultation.
Courts treat crypto you own much like shares or cash: it goes into the property pool. The duty of full and frank disclosure in s 71B of the Family Law Act covers every exchange account and self-custody wallet. What makes crypto different is the evidence.
Wallet addresses, exchange exports and on-chain records sit beside bank statements in the disclosure bundle. That bundle is often where the real argument happens.
Tackling the Challenges of Dividing Cryptocurrency
Crypto is easy to move and hard to pin down. If one party hides or burns through holdings, the other may have a claim that the pool was wasted. The biggest hurdles are:
Market Volatility
Prices can swing hard between separation and settlement. So the date you pick and the way you value the coins both matter.
Privacy and Anonymity
Wallets aren't held in anyone's name, and coins can be spread across several exchanges and wallets at once.
Blockchain Complexity
The blockchain records every transfer, but it takes a specialist to read it. We work with forensic accountants and blockchain analysts to find, value and trace each holding.
What You Can Expect From Our Cryptocurrency Property Settlement Lawyers
On a settlement involving digital assets, our team will:
- Learn how the crypto was bought, held and used, and what it means to you.
- Set a bespoke case strategy for disclosure, tracing, valuation and transfer.
- Tell you what each expert finds and how it moves the numbers.
- Explain the tax result of each way of splitting the holdings.
- Keep any investigation in proportion to the value at stake.
Key Area To Know: Disclosure never means handing over private keys or seed phrases. Share public wallet addresses, exchange statements and transaction histories instead. The keys stay with the holder until orders say how the assets will move.
Free First Consultation
Every new client receives a free initial consultation. We use it to work out what digital assets are in play, whether anything needs protecting now and what evidence you already have.
Bring what you have: exchange exports, public addresses for self-custody wallets, crypto tax reports and bank statements showing transfers to or from exchanges. If you suspect hidden holdings, note what made you suspicious, such as a hardware wallet or transfers to an unfamiliar platform. Don’t log in to your former partner’s devices or accounts; we have lawful ways to get the records.
Book your free consultation today and find out where the digital assets in your settlement stand.
Why Choose Unified Lawyers for Cryptocurrency and Family Law?
Crypto disputes are won on evidence, and evidence takes planning. We know which records exchanges keep, what a blockchain analyst can prove and when tracing would cost more than it could recover.
Partner Alex Bourne is an Accredited Specialist in Family Law. He runs complex money cases with a trusted group of forensic accountants and barristers. Partner Mark Youssef has been an Accredited Specialist since 2011 and is a nationally accredited mediator, which helps when a negotiated split beats a trial.
The firm has practised since 2017 and now has 45+ family lawyers. We were recognised as the 2025 Specialist Family Law Firm of the Year by Australasian Lawyer, and our clients have left 600+ five-star Google reviews. Where crypto is one part of a pool that includes trusts and companies, our high net worth divorce lawyers run the whole settlement.
Our Cryptocurrency Family Law Services
Cryptocurrency in divorce touches every stage of a settlement, from the first disclosure letter to the final transfer. We handle each part.
Disclosure Requests and Tracing
We ask for exchange records, wallet addresses and the bank transfers that paid for the coins. Every business that runs a crypto exchange in Australia must be registered with AUSTRAC and must check who its customers are.
That makes exchange records a natural target for a subpoena. When the paper trail runs out, we brief a blockchain analyst to follow the funds on-chain.
Urgent Orders to Preserve Assets
If coins are moving to unknown wallets or offshore platforms, waiting can cost you. The court can grant an injunction over a party’s property (s 114) and can set aside or restrain a transaction made to defeat a claim (s 106B). We prepare these applications quickly, with the evidence the court needs to act.
Valuation Evidence
Prices move every minute, so the method matters. Which exchange’s price, at what time? How do you value illiquid tokens, locked staking positions or NFTs with no active market?
We agree the approach early and brief a single expert where values are truly disputed. We also check whether any tokens were sold, swapped or staked after separation.
Drafting Orders That Actually Move the Assets
Vague orders cause trouble. We name the token, the quantity, the receiving address, the deadline and who pays network fees.
We also deal with forks, airdrops and price swings between agreement and transfer. Orders should say what happens if a transfer fails. Our property settlement lawyers handle the rest of the pool.
Trading Losses and Wastage
Heavy trading after separation can shrink the pool. The court now considers the effect of any material wastage caused intentionally or recklessly (s 79(5)(d)).
We assess whether losses were reckless or just bad luck, and what that means for the division. Our asset pool calculator gives you a first view of the numbers.
600+
5 Star Reviews and Thousands of Lives Transformed
At Unified Lawyers, results matter because they matter to you. We’ve helped more than 8000+ clients across Australia resolve their family law matters with care and expertise.
SOHAIL H
The team at Unified Lawyers has been amazing from start to finish. Everyone I dealt with, from the accounts team and customer service staff to the lawyers, was professional, friendly, and genuinely helpful. My lawyer, Santino Romanella, supported me through one of the most difficult and complex legal battles of my life. My case involved significant challenges, including interference from third parties, issues involving the misuse of AI, and modern issues of gender-based violence, but he remained calm, focused, and committed throughout the entire process. To me, Santino was like a soldier. He stood his ground, never gave up, and worked tirelessly to protect my rights at every step. No matter what came up, he handled everything with integrity, professionalism, and sound judgment. One piece of advice he often reminded me of was to “be still” and “have composure,” which really helped me stay grounded during such a stressful time.
Adam Piotrowski
Jessica Adamovich was outstanding to work with throughout my family law matter. From the very beginning, she listened carefully, understood my concerns, and provided invaluable guidance during what was a very challenging time. Her advice helped me approach each step with a calm, steady mindset, always focused on achieving the best possible outcome. Jessica built a strong professional relationship with me, which made it easy to ask questions and discuss any concerns I had along the way. I always felt supported, informed, and confident knowing she was in my corner. I would happily recommend Jessica Adamovich to anyone navigating the family law system. Her professionalism, knowledge, compassion, and dedication made a difficult process much easier to manage. Thank you Jessica
Adam H-Anderson
With Anushkas assistance, and overall hard work, my family matter has progressed with very positive results. I am very happy with how things have progressed, noting that these matters do take time as there is a process to follow, however, Anushka was very reassuring throughout the entire process, providing guidance and clarity for ease of understanding for all of the steps along the way. Donna was also instrumental in assisting with both family and other matters, which overall helped to maintain a positive outlook throughout a challenging period of time. I highly recommend the lawyers at Unified to anyone that is looking for assistance in working towards a positive, balanced and as fair as possible outcome for a given family matter. As my family matter had progressed to a final hearing, Jessica B. was instrumental in providing professional advice, while displaying genuine care for the matter, which further aided in achieving a positive result for my family. Jessica is exceptional in her role as a Senior Associate and I couldn’t be more satisfied with the advice and guidance I received through a very challenging period of time. Thank you very much Jessica and thank you to everyone at Unified, I genuinely appreciate all of your work and would recommend Unified Lawyers to anyone that needed genuine high quality legal assistance.
Jeshurun Henshaw
The customer service and professionalism from Unified Lawyers was outstanding. From the initial consultation to the actual work – this was executed in a professional manner. Working with Jordyn enabled me to have the confidence that my particular matter was going to be dealt with efficiently and professionally from a person with exceptional knowledge in family law. I thoroughly recommend Unified Lawyers.
Andrea Gartmann
Jordyn was outstanding to work with from start to finish. She was professional, knowledgeable, and made a complex process feel simple and manageable. At every stage, she explained things clearly and kept us fully informed, which gave us real confidence and peace of mind. Her communication was always prompt and friendly, and she genuinely took the time to understand our situation and what we needed. We always felt supported and like we were in very capable hands. We thank her from the bottom of our hearts. We’re extremely grateful for her hard work and would highly recommend Jordyn to anyone looking for a reliable, thorough, and trustworthy solicitor.
Caleb Thompson
I was extremely happy with Unified Lawyers (Jordyn Nicholson) especially when nobody else was able to help me with my case, Jordyn would however and she did help me a lot in a short space as well as short notice. Very professional and easy to converse with, she stands with great defence on your behalf.
5 Stars
Thank you Jordyn.
Thank you Unified Lawyers.
SOHAIL H
The team at Unified Lawyers has been amazing from start to finish. Everyone I dealt with, from the accounts team and customer service staff to the lawyers, was professional, friendly, and genuinely helpful. My lawyer, Santino Romanella, supported me through one of the most difficult and complex legal battles of my life. My case involved significant challenges, including interference from third parties, issues involving the misuse of AI, and modern issues of gender-based violence, but he remained calm, focused, and committed throughout the entire process. To me, Santino was like a soldier. He stood his ground, never gave up, and worked tirelessly to protect my rights at every step. No matter what came up, he handled everything with integrity, professionalism, and sound judgment. One piece of advice he often reminded me of was to “be still” and “have composure,” which really helped me stay grounded during such a stressful time.
Adam Piotrowski
Jessica Adamovich was outstanding to work with throughout my family law matter. From the very beginning, she listened carefully, understood my concerns, and provided invaluable guidance during what was a very challenging time. Her advice helped me approach each step with a calm, steady mindset, always focused on achieving the best possible outcome. Jessica built a strong professional relationship with me, which made it easy to ask questions and discuss any concerns I had along the way. I always felt supported, informed, and confident knowing she was in my corner. I would happily recommend Jessica Adamovich to anyone navigating the family law system. Her professionalism, knowledge, compassion, and dedication made a difficult process much easier to manage. Thank you Jessica
Adam H-Anderson
With Anushkas assistance, and overall hard work, my family matter has progressed with very positive results. I am very happy with how things have progressed, noting that these matters do take time as there is a process to follow, however, Anushka was very reassuring throughout the entire process, providing guidance and clarity for ease of understanding for all of the steps along the way. Donna was also instrumental in assisting with both family and other matters, which overall helped to maintain a positive outlook throughout a challenging period of time. I highly recommend the lawyers at Unified to anyone that is looking for assistance in working towards a positive, balanced and as fair as possible outcome for a given family matter. As my family matter had progressed to a final hearing, Jessica B. was instrumental in providing professional advice, while displaying genuine care for the matter, which further aided in achieving a positive result for my family. Jessica is exceptional in her role as a Senior Associate and I couldn’t be more satisfied with the advice and guidance I received through a very challenging period of time. Thank you very much Jessica and thank you to everyone at Unified, I genuinely appreciate all of your work and would recommend Unified Lawyers to anyone that needed genuine high quality legal assistance.
Jeshurun Henshaw
The customer service and professionalism from Unified Lawyers was outstanding. From the initial consultation to the actual work – this was executed in a professional manner. Working with Jordyn enabled me to have the confidence that my particular matter was going to be dealt with efficiently and professionally from a person with exceptional knowledge in family law. I thoroughly recommend Unified Lawyers.
Andrea Gartmann
Jordyn was outstanding to work with from start to finish. She was professional, knowledgeable, and made a complex process feel simple and manageable. At every stage, she explained things clearly and kept us fully informed, which gave us real confidence and peace of mind. Her communication was always prompt and friendly, and she genuinely took the time to understand our situation and what we needed. We always felt supported and like we were in very capable hands. We thank her from the bottom of our hearts. We’re extremely grateful for her hard work and would highly recommend Jordyn to anyone looking for a reliable, thorough, and trustworthy solicitor.
Caleb Thompson
I was extremely happy with Unified Lawyers (Jordyn Nicholson) especially when nobody else was able to help me with my case, Jordyn would however and she did help me a lot in a short space as well as short notice. Very professional and easy to converse with, she stands with great defence on your behalf.
5 Stars
Thank you Jordyn.
Thank you Unified Lawyers.
Affordable Cryptocurrency Family Lawyers Without Sacrificing Expertise
Part of your pool is volatile, so legal costs need watching. There’s no sense spending more on tracing than the missing coins are worth. We scope investigations in stages and tell you at each point whether the next step makes financial sense.
Blockchain analysis fees vary widely, so we get quotes before anyone is instructed. Where both sides need the same answer, a jointly appointed expert saves money. Every new client receives a free initial consultation, so you can weigh the case before spending anything.
Hourly billing: time interval billing, usually an hourly rate, so fees reflect time spent.
Fixed fees: for defined stages where we can.
No hidden extras: brief phone calls, printing, postage and faxes are never charged.
Frequently Asked Questions About Managing Cryptocurrency in Family Law Matters
Do I Have to Disclose All My Cryptocurrency Holdings During a Divorce, Even If They're in Anonymous Wallets?
Yes. The duty of full and frank disclosure in s 71B covers every coin, token and NFT, wherever it’s held. That includes private wallets and decentralised exchanges.
Give wallet addresses, trade histories and exchange statements. If you don’t, the court can order you to pay costs, tilt the split towards the other party or, in serious cases, deal with you for contempt. Blockchain analysis can trace most transfers, so hiding coins rarely works.
How Is the Value of My Crypto Determined for Property Settlement If the Market Price Changes Every Day?
Property is generally valued at or near the date of the final hearing or agreement, not the separation date. If Bitcoin surges or crashes in between, the current value usually counts.
Parties often agree a price source and a timestamp, or ask a forensic accountant for a written expert report. Some agree to sell before settling, or to average prices over a period.
What Happens If My Spouse Hides Their Crypto Assets? Can They Be Traced?
Often, yes. Experts follow transaction trails on public ledgers, and bank statements and tax returns often show money going in. Exchanges can be subpoenaed, and the court can freeze assets.
Hiding crypto breaches the duty of disclosure. The court can draw adverse inferences, make costs orders or adjust the division, and contempt is possible. Tell your lawyer early if you suspect something.
Can Cryptocurrency Be Divided Equally, or Does It Have to Be Sold and the Money Split?
It doesn’t have to be sold, and the split needn’t be 50/50. The court looks for a just and equitable result based on contributions and future needs.
There are three common options: an in-kind transfer to the other party’s wallet, an offset against other assets, or a sale. Each carries different tax and market risk.
Are There Tax Consequences When Transferring Crypto as Part of a Family Law Settlement?
Yes, because the ATO treats crypto as a capital gains tax asset. Transfers under a court order, consent orders, a binding financial agreement or an arbitral award can qualify for the relationship breakdown rollover. That defers the tax until the receiving spouse later disposes of the asset.
Crypto is exempt only if it’s a personal use asset acquired for less than $10,000. Crypto held as an investment never qualifies.
What Role Do Experts Like Forensic Accountants Play in Handling Crypto in Divorce Cases?
They trace, value and check. A forensic accountant or blockchain analyst can follow coins across wallets, find hidden transfers and value tokens at the right date.
Their report is prepared for the court, so it carries more weight than either party’s own spreadsheet. Costs can be shared, and a party whose non-disclosure made the work necessary may be ordered to pay them.
How Can I Protect My Crypto Investments from Being Unfairly Claimed by My Ex-Partner?
Keep records of when and how you bought each coin, especially anything you held before the relationship or inherited. A binding financial agreement can say what happens to crypto. It only binds if the s 90G rules are met, including independent legal advice for each of you.
Cold wallets and multi-signature set-ups protect you from theft, not from disclosure. You still have to declare the coins. Early, honest disclosure also helps your standing with the court.