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Episode 25

Guest - Tony Nikolic

In the next episode, I sit down with Tony Nikolic — Australian solicitor, principal of AFL Solicitors, and one of the country’s most unapologetic advocates for human and civil rights. His work is defined by a singular professional duty: to protect without fear or favour, regardless of pressure, politics, or personal cost.

Practising nationally across commercial litigation, complex family law, estates, and criminal law, Tony operates at the sharp edge of Australia’s legal system, where individual rights collide with institutional power. Tony holds two Master of Laws degrees — one in Family Dispute Resolution (with accreditation in mediation) and another in Commercial Litigation — alongside an Honours degree in Criminology, qualifications as a Notary, and a Diploma in Business Management. He is also a published author, contributing to the International Handbook of Whistleblower Research (2014), where he examined the protection of whistleblowers and taxpayers — reinforcing his lifelong commitment to accountability and justice.

Widely respected for his work in high-conflict family law, Tony represents clients in matters where parenting disputes and property proceedings intersect with criminal allegations and systemic failure. His advocacy extends beyond individual cases into the reform space, where he champions evidence-based legal change, including his proposed Family Law “Three Strikes” model, designed to address repeated breaches of parenting orders and restore accountability to the system.

We examine the gatekeeping of children, the reality that as little as 30 days of separation can sever a child’s emotional bond with a parent, and the enduring lack of meaningful support for fathers in Australia.

Restoring Accountability: The Three Strikes Reform

Tony outlines his proposed Three Strikes Enforcement Structure, a reform to the Family Law Act 1975 (Cth) designed to introduce clarity, consistency, and meaningful consequences for repeated breaches of parenting orders — interim or final — while always maintaining the best interests of the child.

Key proposed reforms include:

 Strike 1 – Civil Penalty

• $500 civil fine

• Mandatory make-up time for denied contact

• Formal entry in a Parenting Order Enforcement Register

 Strike 2 – Escalation and Warning

• Further $500 fine

• Formal judicial warning

• Power to vary parenting orders to restore compliance

 Strike 3 – Criminal Referral

• Referral for criminal prosecution for serious interference

• Power to reverse custody

• Minimum six months supervised contact for the non-compliant parent (at their expense), or

• Appointment of a parenting coordinator funded by the non-compliant party

Tony also discusses his recent meetings in the United States with Robert Garza, a Texas-based father and advocate whose lived experience with parental alienation helped drive reforms restoring parenting time. Since returning, Tony has refined the model for Australia and submitted the draft Bill to Senator Malcolm Roberts.

Time Taken Must Be Time Returned

The proposed Bill further amends the Family Law Act 1975 (Cth) to ensure parenting time is restored where a parent has been denied access due to:

• Child protection investigations, or

• Family violence, intervention, or restraining orders

- where no finding of abuse, neglect, or risk of harm is ultimately made.

These reforms prevent parents from being permanently deprived of court-ordered time based on unsubstantiated allegations, while preserving judicial discretion and the paramount consideration of t

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Episode 23

Guest - Digby Ioane

On my next episode I sit down with Digby Ioane, a Brisbane-based father of two who spent four years navigating the family court system. Born in New Zealand and of Samoan heritage, Digby moved to Melbourne at age one. He grew up as the youngest of nine, five boys and four girls, in a family-oriented home. His parents later adopted six more children from Samoa, and their house was always full. If one of his older brothers met someone who was homeless or struggling, they would bring them home too. Later, while playing overseas, Digby moved to France to join Stade Français, where he met the mother of his first child. Their relationship began to break down shortly after his son’s birth. Digby had flown his baby mother and son to Melbourne so his son could spend time with his father, who was gravely ill. She left to France early for a job interview, and two days after she left with his son, his father passed away. Digby shared in the podcast that when he tried to express how much he was hurting, she told him to “Just get over it.” That moment, on top of losing the man he described as the family’s protector whose love was “on another level,” became a breaking point.

Shortly after his first relationship ended, Digby met his second partner, the mother of his second child. Throughout their relationship, she questioned how Digby managed to afford his properties and expenses. His sister, who handled his finances, had been diagnosed with cancer. His partner used this to convince him to let her “help” and eventually “take over” managing his finances. She pushed him to set up internet banking, something he had never used before, so she could pay bills and renovation invoices while he travelled for rugby and flew frequently to Melbourne to care for his dying sister. This is how she was able to access his accounts. When his sister passed away, Digby asked her to fly down for the funeral. She agreed but asked him to pay for her best friend’s flight as well. She came down but left before the burial, flying back to Brisbane with their son because he was “sick,” leaving Digby to mourn alone. Digby remained in Melbourne for two weeks to support his family. His 12-year-old nephew, also named Digby, asked if he could move to Brisbane to live with him, just as Digby had previously done for his nephew Monty Ioane, who is now an international rugby player for Italy. 

When he told his partner the plan, she “lost it” and gave him the ultimatum: “IT’S EITHER ME OR YOUR NEPHEW.” Digby refused to abandon his nephew and stood his ground. Consequently, she left, telling Digby that her father was sick and that she was going to Canberra to stay & look after him. All of a sudden, Police are calling Digby wanting to question him about a whole list of fabricated allegations his ex has made.During the proceedings, Digby discovered that his ex had been transferring $5,000 daily from his account into her own. When the transactions were traced, they showed she had used the money to pay off her personal credit card debt and had moved funds into multiple bank accounts she controlled. On the surface, it appeared she was “paying all the bills,” but the deposits funding those bills were coming directly from Digby’s income, rental properties, and the rugby clinics. Their relationship lasted only 20 months. She had moved into a fully paid-off house, contributed nothing to the mortgage, and the household was funded by his passive income and rugby work, yet she initially sought a “70/30 split.” Following years of emotional, financial and legal pressure, Digby’s friend advised him to make a final offer of $100,000 “so she’ll accept it and disappear.” Within five minutes of receiving the email, sh

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Episode 22 

Guest – Pauline Hanson

On our next episode of the broken fathers podcast I sit speak with someone who’s not only seen the pain, but spoken out about it—in Parliament, on national television, and in the face of fierce opposition. She’s a a federal senator, the founder of One Nation, and one of the few politicians who’s dared to publicly call the family court system for what many of us know it to be “BROKEN”. A strong independent woman, Senator Pauline Hanson.

Senator Hanson’s first marriage was in the 1970s and after it ended, she found herself a single mother at the age of 33. She didn’t claim child support or other assets. She worked diligently to support herself and her child. She later married a second time and had two more children. This marriage also ended, there no property settlement as Pauline walked out and left the house and plumbing business to her ex. but Pauline’s hardest battle was trying to get the children's father to be involved in their kid’s lives because she knows how important it is for the children to have a father in their lives. Pauline was flat out trying to get $20 a week. When Senator Hanson joined parliament in 1996, the biggest issue that came across Senator’s desk was issues about family law system. She has personal experience with the family court system, as two of her sons have gone through it. She has witnessed firsthand the pain it caused them and felt that pain herself, how unfair and broken the system is especially knowing how much her sons love their children.

Senator Hanson argues that the courts and both parents should prioritize what is best for the children, rather than engaging in abusive, hurtful actions or using children as pawns. Pauline believes children have a right to be with their parents. Pauline grew up with amazing male role models like her amazing father and loving brothers. She’s not anti-male but she’s not joining some me2 movement and she makes a reminder to all those mothers out there you reap what you sow, that may be being spiteful and using the kids as pawns that It might be your sons being denied their children form a grandmother one day later in life. We delved into comments made by former Parramatta family court judge David Collier, who, after 14 years on the bench, observed a significant amount of false evidence presented in domestic violence and sexual abuse cases, noting that perjury always went unaddressed. We question why charges were not laid in such instances. Our conversation also touched on the perceived influence of "woke" ideologies in parliament, particularly regarding women's rights, and how the current Child Support system can be viewed as a "cash cow." We both agree that child support payments should be managed through a receipted bank account to ensure funds are exclusively used for the child's benefit. We believe that reforming child support could lead to greater accountability. Pauline suggests that all domestic violence allegations should first be heard in a magistrate's court to determine their veracity before proceeding to family court. Furthermore, these allegations should not be admissible in family court unless proven factual. Pauline mentioned that domestic violence cases consume 75% of the Queensland Police Service's resources, leading to frustration among officers who feel the system needs to be re-evaluated. Additionally, we discussed a perceived lack of courage among many politicians, attributing it to the need to adhere to party lines. The misuse of the domestic violence system as a legal weapon, often facilitated by unaddressed perjury, was another point of concern. We reflected on the powerful display of 2,400 single boots on the lawns of Parliament, representing men and boys

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Episode 21

Guest – Tracey McMillan

On our next episode, I’m joined by Tracey McMillan, CEO of Queensland Family Law Practice (QFLP), to unpack everything about the Family Court system. Tracey is a highly experienced family lawyer and mediator with over 25 years in practice. She’s frequently sought by media outlets and community organisations for her clear, practical advice on family law — always with a strong focus on the well-being of children.

Tracey’s expertise spans parenting arrangements, domestic violence, divorce, and property settlements. She is known for providing plain-English advice, early risk assessments, and practical strategies to minimise conflict and cost. Through mediation and parenting coordination, she helps parents reduce disputes and protect children from ongoing conflict.

She is also the founder of No Lawyers — an innovative online family law platform that helps people represent themselves and save thousands of dollars. Designed for individuals navigating separation without legal representation, No Lawyers makes it easier to negotiate property and parenting agreements and generate ready-to-lodge consent orders, all without the usual legal fees.

A proud Brisbane local and the youngest of four, Tracey discovered her calling early — torn between becoming a barrister or a psychologist. After completing her Bachelor of Laws and Practical Legal Training, she was admitted as a lawyer of the Supreme Court of Queensland. She went on to complete the Bar Practice Course — a nine-week, full-time intensive program that forms the final step in qualifying as a barrister — and was admitted to the Queensland Bar soon after. In our conversation, Tracey reflects on the dedication and resilience required to reach that point and shares how her early years in practice shaped the compassionate, outcome-focused approach she brings to her clients today. Tracey also speaks candidly about the stresses of running a law firm, the importance of maintaining boundaries, and her concept of a “third space” — a transition between work and home to prevent emotional spillover.

She explains how some legal professionals unknowingly bring courtroom energy home, affecting their families, and describes her coping strategies — such as not learning clients’ children’s names to maintain professional distance. Tracey highlights the importance of law firms properly preparing cases before briefing barristers, recalling numerous instances of receiving poorly drafted affidavits. Tracey founded No Lawyers in 2020. Although still developing, the site has already attracted over 25,000 visitors. It helps people who haven’t yet entered court proceedings to negotiate, create property pools, generate offers, and prepare consent orders. One of its most innovative tools is the “abuse tone meter”, which flags and prevents the exchange of abusive messages between parties.

In our discussion, we also explored key issues in family law — from the “uplift” in Keenan & Keenan (now embedded in written law) to the domestic-violence-leave provisions that allow 10 days off work without requiring evidence. We discussed why small businesses shouldn’t have to absorb this cost and how government support is needed. Tracey believes that while the current system is deeply flawed, there are solutions. Drawing on international examples, she proposed amending the Marriage Act to follow South Africa’s “communal property” approach, where couples agree on asset ownership before marriage.

We closed the episode with audience-submitted questions — including a case where a judge took three years to deliver a decision. Tracey also shared details of her upcoming book, due out in December – “Divorce is F*ed: A No-Bullshit S

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Episode 20

Guest – Vanessa Allen

I sit down with mother of two, she’s also broken daughter who was robbed with a relationship with her father when she was taken to New Zealand when she was only three years old after she found out her father had cheated on her.

She is also the founder of Men’s Emotions matter Movement advocating for men’s and fathers right the movement has plans for stages of development nationally going to male dominated industries sports schools helping empowering men and letting them know they are supported. 

Vanessa was Born in Perth but brought up in NZ and had a rough trot in growing up. Have been taken from her father out of spite because her mother wanted to get pay pack to her father for cheating has played a part in how she came about making her movement for men. 

Vanessa has done a lot of self-work to not resent her mother and advises other mother not to do the same spiteful acts as it only leaves the children with lifelong issues. 

Vanessa has recently got a petition over the line with parliament to reform on child support, the bias against men in the family lay system and perjury being used against false allegations which is now sitting with the attorney general.

She is also currently working on the constitution and creating a ACN & ACNC for her charity. 

She talks about the ridiculous amount of money (180 billion) being designated to women but only 4.3 billion to men. Vanessa aims to dedicate her Charity to creating safe houses for men, including24 hour DV lines open for men.

Email 28th august got an email from attorney general is currently reviewing the petition and will respond within 90 days

We also pick apart the current DV bubble, and how EVERYTHING is a form of DV these days. Having banter with your partner is extinct as that can be used as DV. We address how shit is to be a man/father in this country as the reward vs risk outweighs any win for a male to happen. In this country as a man, you’ll lose your house, super and kids.

We address how terrible the child support system is, and that mothers need to take responsibility finically when deciding to have a child and not to have to rely on a man if the relationships end.

Vanessa mentions Karma and warns other mothers if you use your child as a pawn, you’ll have a child that will never Wholey love you as you denyied them a relationship with their father because you took something from them you didn’t need to.

We conclude on how young men are taking their lives because videos of their mothers on OF getting jack hammered are being passed around on the phone and how some police officers are leaving the force because there sick of dealing with the constant false DV allegations yet still having to attend residences to serve a DVO .

If you are a father struggling and would like to seek Counselling, Vannesa is a qualified counsellor offering sessions to any father that may be seeing help. 

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Episode 19

Guest – Chris & Gem Ward

On our upcoming episode of the Broken Fathers Podcast, I sit down with Chris, a 35-year-old father from Tasmania who works in the Federal Government. He'll be joined by his fiancée, Gem Ward, a nurse. Chris was raised by both his parents, who are still together today. He met his ex-partner in 2008 and, looking back, he recalls early signs of her questioning his every move. For example, when he helped her friend, who was too intoxicated to walk, into a cab, she accused Chris of cheating.

Chris joined the Army in 2007 at 17, moving off barracks and in with his ex-partner shortly after meeting. In 2010, Chris was first deployed to Afghanistan, and then again in 2011. Chris recalls listening to other diggers on the phone during his deployments, hearing about the problems they were having back home due to the immense pressure of being away.

In 2012, Chris applied for special forces. His psychological assessments identified extreme stubbornness as a character trait. Chris acknowledges that his perception of his ex enduring his deployments, led him to propose to her. In early 2015, Chris married his ex-partner. In 2016, Chris deployed to Iraq with a good friend who later took his own life. This was a wake-up call for Chris, leading to his discharge from the army. Not long after the suicide, there was an inquest into his death. In mid-2018, Chris's ex-partner became pregnant, and in February 2019, their beautiful son was born. He recalls holding his son for the first time as a life-changing moment.

Not long after his then-wife returned to work, he noticed a change in her behaviour. His ex began working at an employment agency and began spending time with male work colleagues for coffee outside of work hours. Chris noticed she started getting her nails done, and then this work colleague began coming to their house to pick her up. When Chris questioned her about who he was, she simply replied, "he's just a friend." The next time he came over, his ex-brought him into the house and introduced him to their son. Soon after, she started going on late night walks and would seek to spend time socialising with these colleagues of an evening on the justification that Chris would be working one night a week as an Army reservist.

Chris recounts the shocking experience of his property settlement, early in the separation, which (in hindsight) signalled his ex-partner’s intent. The Real Estate agent employed to sell the house was identified by his ex, and after signing him on, this agent refused to communicate with him, despite him being the one occupying the property. The agent would conduct inspections of the property without Chris’ knowledge, and when Chris identified missing items, he was left with no choice but to chain lock the door and sneak out of the bathroom window to leave his home.

Gem opens up about her difficult upbringing in a broken home, including her mother's attempts to blackmail her against her father and making outrageous claims in court, such as stating he was a threat because he was a firefighter and knew how to light fires. She also shares her experience with a physically abusive ex and how one of Chris's most admirable traits when they met was his refusal to speak negatively about his ex. Gem's unwavering support for Chris through family court, however, inadvertently brought up her own childhood trauma.

The episode delves into the family court's apparent disregard for Chris's care of Gem's children whom he cared for 12 nights per fortnight. Chris also shares a disturbing incident where his son split his head at childcare, and when he sought answers, he was shockingly informed he was no longer on the enro

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Episode 18

Guest – Peter Ellis

Tune in to today's Broken Fathers Podcast, where I sit down with Peter, a 36-year-old father from Brisbane who works in construction. Peter's story begins in Liverpool, UK, where he grew up in a hardworking council estate. He joined the British army in 2004 and left after the tragic loss of his mother in 2009.  

In 2011, Peter moved to Sydney with his then-partner. Six weeks later, she became pregnant. Peter honestly shares that their relationship was more of a best friendship, and cracks soon began to show. After securing his permanent residency, work became scarce in Sydney, leading Peter to work in Canberra for six days a week, a three-hour drive away, only returning to Sydney on Sundays to see his family.

While Peter worked tirelessly to provide, his partner decided they should downgrade to a smaller place. During his next day off, Peter helped move everything, cleaned the old house, and then asked for a spare set of keys for the new rental before driving back to Canberra. To his shock, she refused, revealing she had only used him to move everything and that their relationship was now over. That three-hour drive back to Canberra was the longest of his life.

Living in a garage in Canberra and paying $300 a week in child support, Peter continued his weekly Sunday trips to Sydney to see his daughter, but the strain was taking its toll. In 2017, he met his now-wife and eventually introduced her to his daughter. Things were going well until his ex-partner discovered his new relationship. Plans for his daughter to be a flower girl were ruined by his ex, who would whisper in the background during his phone calls with their daughter, controlling their conversations. His ex even sent threatening text messages, stating he would never see his daughter again because he was getting married. 

Just as Peter was getting his life on track, his new partner became pregnant. Soon after, he broke his hand at work, leading to six months off and further impacting his ability to see his daughter. Struggling with these challenges, Peter reached a breaking point and attempted to take his own life in his garage. Thankfully, his partner and in-laws found him and rushed him to the hospital. This harrowing experience became a turning point, prompting Peter to seek help, reset, and re-educate himself as his hand healed.

Peter talks about fighting the DVO battle driven by fabricated allegations and also shared a poignant memory of a Christmas when his then thirteen-year-old daughter visited for seven days. Despite his excitement and detailed plans, the connection between them had unfortunately faded, which he attributes to negative influences from his ex. 

In closing, Peter openly discusses his battle with depression and emphasizes the importance of learning from our mistakes. He believes the court system needs to expedite its processes. While he knows rebuilding the connection with his teenage daughter will take time, he is committed to being the best version of himself, ready and waiting for when she comes back into his life. For now, Peter is focused on raising his two young boys, aged five and three. He also shared that he almost turned back on his way to record the podcast but is glad he persevered to tell his story and move forward.

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Episode 17

Guest – Adam Coleman

In today’s episode, I’m joined by Adam Coleman, a 38-year-old father of four from Springfield. Adam, an operations manager, spent 10 years navigating the family court system in two separate cases. Adam, an only child, was born and raised in Liverpool, NSW. He never knew his father. After high school, he began a butcher apprenticeship but left after six months to pursue testing and tagging before settling into his career as a truck driver. Sadly, Adam’s mother passed away in 2017.

In 2011, Adam met his first ex-partner at a bar. Their initial conversation included her telling him about a messy breakup and being a victim of domestic violence. Looking back, Adam recognizes this as a red flag. Soon after, they were in a relationship and welcomed their beautiful daughter in April 2011. Adam described how his world changed for the better, recalling how he would come home from long days of driving trucks, walk into his daughter's room, hold her hand, and fall asleep.

More red flags appeared when Adam's friends would call him to report his partner dancing with other girls at bars. He remembers instances of her verbally attacking him at home. One day, he returned from work to find a note and her prepaid phone, stating she had left with their daughter without revealing their whereabouts. They were together for nearly three years before they split; their daughter was only a year and a half old at the time.

After finally getting in touch with his ex, she returned home to gather some belongings, bringing a friend who hurled abuse at Adam on the veranda, threatening him by saying her brother-in-law was a cop and that he "would be f**ked."

Soon after, two police officers arrived. The female officer was helpful and understanding towards Adam, but her colleague insisted Adam be arrested and handcuffed. Adam later discovered this male officer was sleeping with his ex. The officer was subsequently investigated for being in the area despite being based out of Blacktown Police Station. Adam spent two nights in a holding cell, which allowed his ex free rein to go through his house and take what she wanted.

Adam was served with a Domestic Violence Order (DVO), only for his ex to return to his place a month later, hit him three times, and spit in his face. Adam immediately reported it to the police, but they dismissed his claims.

His ex then filed a complaint, and police threatened to arrest him in front of his daughter. Adam went to the police station, where he was arrested and spent 12 weeks in prison. Upon his release, they delayed him for five hours, allowing them to call his ex and give her a heads-up so she could flee. After his release, he found out his ex and daughter had indeed fled. Adam immediately sought legal counsel.

Finally, a court date was set. Adam attended, but his ex-did not. After reviewing all the submissions, the judge apologised to Adam, stating he should never have spent any time in jail. Adam gained custody of his daughter, and it's truly admirable how he has risen above the conflict with his ex-partner. He continues to offer her opportunities to spend time with their daughter, understanding the importance of both parents being involved in a child's life.

In 2014, Adam met a new partner who claimed she couldn't get pregnant, yet soon after, she was expecting. Red flags quickly emerged when she expressed jealousy towards Adam's daughter, demanding she move out. Adam firmly refused, leading her to throw his engagement ring in his face. Her behaviour brought back painful memories of his first relationship, prompting him to call her stepfather. This tumultuous situation culminated in a DVO be

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Episode 16

Guest - Nick Beaunan

This week on the Broken Fathers Podcast, I sat down with Nick Beaunan, a 50-year-old father from Tweed Heads who works in IT. Nick shared his challenging 16-month journey through family court as he fought for his two children.

Nick's story began with his parents' separation when he was young, leading to him being raised by his grandmother on the Sunshine Coast. Following in his parents' footsteps, both nurses, Nick began his career at Nambour Hospital at 18. Finding nursing unfulfilling and seeking adventure, he soon packed his bags and moved to Melbourne to join the Victorian Police. After completing 20 weeks at the police academy, Nick was posted to St Kilda, where he began his general duties career. He was later posted to Sunshine before becoming a detective and eventually retired as a Sergeant.

Nick, who was married for 15 years. Unfortunately, his marriage began to struggle when his ex-wife was diagnosed with mental health issues. This led Nick to feel like an unwanted carer. After leaving the Victorian Police, Nick started working as a security risk advisor in Papua New Guinea. It was during this time that his relationship began to dissolve. While he was working away, Nick's ex-wife made it very difficult for him to communicate with their children.

Upon returning home, a former police colleague informed Nick that his ex-wife was attempting to file an AVO against him. This colleague also mentioned that some police officers at the station had a personal vendetta against Nick, despite never having met him. Nick believes there's a lack of "brotherhood" within the force and that ex-cops, much like veterans, are often perceived as aggressive.

Nick opens up about one time his ex was having an episode in a public place, and he didn’t want to give her the car keys concerned for her safety, but before he knew it 4 police officers were surrounding him with some idiot walking past calling him a woman basher.

This is where the parent alienation chapter starts like most fathers, he was slapped with an AVO over fabricated allegations and had to see the lids in supervised care. At one point he kissed his kids good but knowing he wasn’t going to see them for a while.

14 months later, at the family report writer interview which is a very synthetic environment. His kids arrived, but they had been brainwashed. During this time his ex-had been breaching court orders, and his ex-having BPD had manipulated the family report writer. At one point Nick receives a phone call from child safety which gobsmacks him. The judge, seeing through the bullshit, was more concerned as to why Nick wasn’t being allowed to see the kids.

In closing we address how the Police force is managing DV and how it's Impacting an individual that hasn’t done anything wrong. It seems it's Easier for them to take out an order than make a consideration around whether it’s prudent and are officers stepping in when they are not required. Nick looks back now and tells Family court is nothing but a waste of time and money.

Today, Nick is thriving. He’s remarried and is a personal trainer but more exciting he runs his own business running a lie detection test. Days of the polygraph are gone; his new device measures the cognitive load through your retina which captures 92% data.

This is a cracking episode you don’t want to miss.

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Episode 15.

Guest - Jakob Overduin

On our next episode I speak with Jakob, a 47-year-old from Sydney's North Shore. Jakob is the owner of an advertising company and multiple businesses in Bali. He recently concluded a two-year court battle, facing three counts of common assault and one count of assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

Despite coming from a stable upbringing, Jakob's life took an unexpected turn. He once worked for Kerry Packer, managing advertising agencies before successfully launching his own. His journey into fatherhood and subsequent challenges began when he met his ex-wife at 28. They married and had a son, but their home life soon deteriorated due to his ex-wife's heavy drinking. Jakob tolerated the situation for the sake of his son.

The marital issues escalated when Jakob discovered his ex-wife with another man via CCTV footage from his bar. This revelation led to the amicable decision to end their relationship, acknowledging it had been over for years. They agreed to co-parent and manage their shared business affairs for their child's well-being.

However, the morning after this agreement, Jakob was shocked when police arrived at his door, informing him that his ex-wife had filed an Apprehended Violence Order (AVO) against him. Despite being 150km away from her at the time and having spoken amiably the night before, he was arrested based on her claim that he threatened to kill her. The police refused to hear his side of the story.

To make matters worse, his ex-wife included their son's name on the AVO and falsely claimed ownership of all their businesses. This instantly prevented Jakob from seeing his son or accessing his businesses. He attempted to show the police ASIC records proving his ownership, but they refused to listen to him

Two weeks later, Jakob received devastating news about his dog. Unbeknownst to him, his ex-wife had driven home drunk the night before, crashed her car, and severely injured his dog, leaving him paralysed and having to be put down. Her blood alcohol content was a staggering .282, almost 6 times the limit .

Jakob recounts a series of distressing events involving his ex-wife. He shares that after being discharged from the hospital, his ex-wife tracked down and assaulted his current wife, an incident captured on CCTV. She was arrested due to her impaired state but managed to have her drink driving and assault charges heard simultaneously. She used the night she was under the influence as an excuse for her actions during the assault. Jakob also describes a disturbing incident where people yelled "wife basher" in front of his four stepchildren at his home, expressing his concern that his son is only hearing one side of the story.

Jakob also discusses the ineffectiveness of the Property Recovery Order, noting that his ex-wife breached the order four times without consequence in her efforts to deny him access to his car. We also hear how all charges against Jakob were dismissed, a judgment he reads out from the magistrate.

 In June of last year, Jakob received an Instagram message from a man who openly admitted he was engaged to Jakob's ex-wife when she was pregnant with Jakob's son. He had visited her in Australia and was supposed to move to Australia to be with her but was cut off, only for her to later continue the relationship while with Jakob and then rekindle their relationship after she split with Jakob. Realising almost 20 years of his life was all a lie. 

 Finally, we discuss the financial incentives that encourage people to abuse the domestic violence system without repercussion for false allegations. Jakob bravely opens up about the difficulty of discussing such monstrous accusations

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