Relationships Australia NSW is highlighting a quiet rise in separated couples who continue living together – revealing the strain, compromises and resilience behind an increasingly common reality.
A new rapid review from Relationships Australia NSW shows how housing and cost-of-living pressures are reshaping separation in Australia – with more couples remaining in the same home even after their relationship has ended.
Practitioners are increasingly seeing couples who have separated but continue sharing a household because they cannot afford to live apart. For many families this is a financial or practical necessity, often to maintain stability for children while trying to navigate the emotional complexities of separation.
In a snapshot of 19 practitioner cases, more than half of couples said they stayed under one roof because they couldn't afford separate housing. While some noted fewer disruptions for children, most described tension, blurred boundaries and significant emotional strain. Experiences varied widely, from cooperative co-parenting to ongoing conflict and uncertainty about roles. A small number of clients also reported receiving legal advice not to leave the family home, even when conflict was high.
"We're hearing more stories of couples who've separated but simply can't afford to maintain two households," said Elisabeth Shaw, CEO of Relationships Australia NSW. "For some, it's a temporary compromise. For others, it becomes a long-term necessity that brings real emotional challenges – particularly for children."
Families are doing their best in constrained circumstances, drawing on considerable resilience while living in limbo. The review highlights the toll this can take, especially when parents lack support to manage communication, boundaries and co-parenting while sharing the same space.
This work forms part of Relationships Australia NSW's broader effort to understand how financial pressure, housing instability and shifting family dynamics are affecting relationship wellbeing across the state. By bringing these experiences forward, the organisation aims to increase awareness of a growing reality – and the support families need to navigate separation with clarity and care.
