In this episode, Kate was joined by Tash Bloom from LiveMore and Audrey, a LiveMore customer, to talk about funding life after separation.

About the episode:

LiveMore is a mortgage provider for people aged 50 and over. Audrey begins this episode by talking about her own divorce and how it left her in a difficult financial situation, something many will relate to. Kate explores common financial problems that arise after a separation and Tash talks about the ways that LiveMore has helped Audrey to fund her life after divorce. Audrey touches on inheritance planning and the role of pensions in her own divorce settlement. Tash explains the different types of mortgages on offer once you hit later life and alternative ways of securing funding to purchase properties. As Tash points out, there are lots of different specialists you can consult if you are looking for advice post-divorce and you are over 50. 

About our guests:

Audrey has been on a journey of self-re-discovery, after divorcing her husband due to an affair 10 years ago. She left her job in the City and became super-mum and super-grandma, helping her daughter during an incredibly challenging health crisis. Now settled in her new and (almost completely) renovated bungalow, she is focusing on the next stage of her life and is very much looking forward to the future and the adventures it will bring.   

Tash Bloom is EA to the CEO of LiveMore. She is also the company’s customer ambassador, building and maintaining relationships with customers. She regularly represents the CEO at meetings and events and is an extension of the brand wherever she goes. Committed to the company values, Tash is a dedicated LiveMore team member and gets no greater pleasure than witnessing the happiness of the customers they have been able to help.

You can find more about LiveMore here, or book a call to speak to one of their mortgage advisors here. 

More resources:

Get in touch with amicable for information on the legal, financial and children aspects of separation. Book a free 15-minute consultation with an amicable expert through the amicable website.

#LifeAfterDivorce

In this episode, Kate was joined by Marcie Shaoul, Director of The Co-Parent Way, to discuss managing strong emotions and inflammatory language as well as her new co-parenting course. 

About the episode:

In this episode, Kate and Marcie explore Marice’s new course and how it can benefit co-parents. They then look at tools for helping to manage strong emotions if you're a separated parent. Marcie explains that fear is often the overriding emotion couples experience when facing the prospect of no longer living with their children full-time. They also discuss ways to tackle fear and other emotions like anger and the importance of self-care and putting on your own oxygen mask first to regulate your own emotions. Marcie explains how using inflammatory language is a conscious choice, and they talk about why a parent might make that choice when it inevitably leads to escalations and that whilst you can’t prevent your partner from using inflammatory language, you can change from reacting to responding by hitting the pause button before replying.

About our guests:

Marcie Shaoul is the Director of The Co-Parent Way, the UK’s only Co-Parent Coaching Practice. She is a thought leader in co-parenting and is responsible for developing a unique coaching methodology that enables parents to get to a place where they can co-parent together effectively after separation. It provides coaching specifically for couples or individuals who are separating and who have kids. Marcie is also a member of Resolution and sits on their Parenting After Parting Committee.

If you’re interested in Marcie’s co-parenting course you can learn more and sign up here. 

More resources:

Get in touch with amicable for information on the legal, financial and children aspects of separation. Book a free 15-minute consultation with an amicable expert through the amicable website.

#Coparenting

In this episode, Kate was joined by Mat Megens, founder and CEO of HyperJar, to discuss budgeting during divorce and separation. 

About the episode:

In this episode, Kate and Mat talk about the idea of budgeting during divorce and separation. They explore the freedom that’s gained from having a better grasp on your money and being able to save. Divorce is often seen as such a negative event in financial terms, but Mat’s tips turn that idea on its head and show how cathartic and life-changing taking control of your finances can be. Mat describes the idea of underspending, giving you a buffer for life’s unexpected hurdles, this is particularly useful in the wake of the cost of living crisis. He believes budgeting and saving is a mindset which can be learned and taught – an invaluable skill you can pass down to your children. Mat is divorced himself and describes his divorce as an opportunity to improve his and his ex-partner’s spending habits and lifestyle. Viewing budgeting through this lens is an empowering step you can take to give you more financial freedom and control if you are separating in these financially trying times. Mat ends the episode by sharing his top budgeting tips.

About our guests:

Mat Megens started his career in Canada and the USA as an electrical engineer designing circuit boards for telecom companies big and small. He then made a career switch into finance which is what brought him to London. He worked in fixed income for both Lehman Brothers and Morgan Stanley, where the idea for HyperJar was inspired. He then worked for IFC, part of The World Bank, helping to setup up financing products in developing nations around the world before finally making the leap to entrepreneurship. Mat combined his engineering and finance careers along with his frustrations as a saving-oriented consumer to launch HyperJar. HyperJar is a free-to-the-consumer app that helps people plan and navigate their journey from depositing money to spending it. 

More resources:

Get in touch with amicable for information on the legal, financial and children aspects of separation. Book a free 15-minute consultation with an amicable expert through the amicable website.

#TheLegalBit

In this episode, Kate was joined by Siobhan Baillie, Conservative MP for Stroud, to discuss family policy reform and its impact on people separating and divorcing.

About the episode:

Kate and Siobhan begin this episode by looking at Siobhan’s lived experience of divorce, that of her own parent's separation and how this has sparked her passion for policy reform, particularly around children proceedings and her work with the Positive Parenting Alliance. They explore the changes that the introduction of no-fault divorce has meant for separating couples and what needs to change in the future so that children are less impacted by their parent's separation.

About our guests:

Siobhan Baillie is the MP for Stroud, having won the key swing seat from Labour in 2019. Born in West Sussex and educated in Yorkshire, Siobhan left school at 17 to work as a legal secretary, studying law in her spare time to qualify as a solicitor. Following on from a career in law, Siobhan stood as a local councillor in Camden and worked as Head of Policy and Communications for OnePlusOne before standing down in 2018 to dedicate her career to parliamentary politics. Since her election in 2019, Siobhan has been appointed to the Work and Pensions Select Committee and has served as Co-Chair of the All-party parliamentary group for Relationships. Siobhan has done key work in campaigning for greater environmental protection, and she remains a key campaigner for further education.

More resources:

Get in touch with amicable for information on the legal, financial and children aspects of separation. Book a free 15-minute consultation with an amicable expert through the amicable website.

#LifeAfterDivorce

In this episode, Kate was joined by Divorce Specialist, Anthony Syder to talk about keeping the cost of divorce low. 

About the episode:

They begin this episode by looking at Anthony’s tips around keeping the legal costs down whilst you divorce including how much of the legal process you can do yourself and the options available to you when it comes to choosing professional help. Kate and Anthony look at some factors that impact the fairness of a financial settlement, particularly given the current cost of living crisis, and what fluctuating asset valuations, such as pensions, mean in terms of your financial agreements. Lastly, they look at practical things to consider as you make arrangements for your children, such as the rising cost of childcare and how child maintenance works. This is a great episode if you are looking for ways to keep the cost of divorce low during the current cost of living crisis.

About our guests:

Anthony is a divorce specialist at amicable and has worked in the area of divorce, mediation and family dispute resolution for the past 8 years. His areas of interest include the voice of the child and diverse and inclusive families.

More resources:

Get in touch with amicable for information on the legal, financial and children aspects of separation. Book a free 15-minute consultation with an amicable expert through the amicable website.

#TheLegalBit

In this episode, Kate was joined by Jo Middleton to talk about solo parenting. 

About the episode:

Kate and Jo talk about her ‘mixed’ experience of relationships and co-parenting and her journey over the last 10 years as a solo mum. They explore the benefits of being a single parent, as well as the daily struggles and the idea of loneliness when you don’t have a partner or co-parent to lean on. Jo shares her tips on things you can do to make the solo parent journey easier and highlights that not everyone is able to co-parent, however, there are many joys that come from solo parenting.

About our guests:

Jo is the creator of the award-winning parenting blog, slummy single mummy, and solo parent to two daughters, now aged 27 and 20. Jo had her first child aged 17 in the middle of her A-levels and is now 44, and Granny to a 3-year-old. One of her daughters lives at home and has recently been diagnosed with ASD. 

More resources:

Get in touch with amicable for information on the legal, financial and children aspects of separation. Book a free 15-minute consultation with an amicable expert through the amicable website.

#Coparenting

In this episode, Kate was joined by Co-Parenting Coach, Jen Gallagher, to discuss her tips on approaching co-parenting for younger children. 

About the episode:

Jen explored the idea of reframing common co-parenting issues so that everyone’s a winner. Reframing how you present a creative solution can shift what your partner might consider as controlling behaviour to something that can benefit everyone involved. Jen also shared her tips around having a routine that’s meaningful to your child rather than seeing things through an adult lens.

About our guests:

Jen is a Co-parenting Coach and a former therapist with a child development background. Jen is based in Florida, and she has thriving co-parenting coaching practice supporting divorced and uncoupled parents transitioning to become co-parents. She specialises in children from babies through to 8 years old and shares her wonderful tips and advice on Instagram. 

More resources:

Get in touch with amicable for information on the legal, financial and children aspects of separation. Book a free 15-minute consultation with an amicable expert through the amicable website.

#Coparenting

In this episode, Kate was joined by Michelle Hoskin a financial abuse specialist, to discuss financial and economic abuse during a divorce.

About the episode:

In this episode Kate and Michelle look at financial and economic abuse and how it can manifest during a divorce or separation.  Michelle explains the key signs of financial and economic abuse and what can be done on an individual and professional level to help those going through this. 

TW : Some listeners may find the information and topics discussed distressing.  Please get in touch if any of these issues have affected you and we will put you in touch with the best professionals to help. 

Useful links/ charities:

• Surviving Economic Abuse 
• Dash 
• Refuge
• Men's Advice Line

About our guests:

Michelle is an international speaker, author and regular contributor to the professional press and media, with nearly 25 years of experience working alongside some of the world’s most successful financial services organisations.  She is also the Founder and Director of Standards International a leading dedicated certification body in the UK. 

More resources:

Get in touch with amicable for information on the legal, financial and children aspects of separation. Book a free 15-minute consultation with an amicable expert through the amicable website.

#TheLegalBit

In this episode, Kate was joined by Yuri Sinata to share her experience and tips around being a single working parent.

About the episode:

Yuri begins this episode by exploring the various challenges faced by single working parents, and she shares some fantastic tips on how to make the day-to-day that little bit easier.  They look at Yuri’s upbringing and how having strong supportive role models around her, has helped in her journey being a single parent. Kate and Yuri discuss her marriage and divorce, and her relocation to Los Angeles. They explore her love of food and fitness and how this has helped her cope in the wake of her divorce.

About our guests:

Yuri is a business owner and creator born and raised in Surabaya, Indonesia. She is also a single mother to her son, Kai.  Yuri came to the US in 2007 at the age of 24 with no plan, money, very little English and no identity, but she garnered the will and determination to build her life and business in Los Angeles. Through the years, she battled various obstacles: graduating from the Paul Mitchell school, paying her own school fees, opening up a new business after years of working for others, experiencing postpartum depression and healing after a divorce. Having a platform to share this dialogue with others is cathartic for Yuri. She utilises social media to share what she loves: beauty, cooking, health and wellness.

More resources:

Get in touch with amicable for information on the legal, financial and children aspects of separation. Book a free 15-minute consultation with an amicable expert through the amicable website.

#LifeAfterDivorce

In this episode, Kate was joined by journalist and comedian, Ellie Gibson to discuss relationship struggles and how to make a marriage work in the wake of a separation.

About the episode:

The episode begins with Kate and Ellie exploring her relationship and how separation and space ended up making her marriage stronger, resulting in two beautiful children with her husband Pete. She describes the lead-up to her split from her now husband, Pete, which many will find relatable. A sequence of arguments about ‘small’ yet fundamental issues led to the couple deciding to take a series of breaks. Ellie found individual therapy useful in getting to a place where she could reconcile with her husband. She described the impact her best friend’s divorce had on her and her husband, and she talked about the importance of trying to navigate tough patches, rather than giving up or cheating. This episode is a homage to marriage and the work required to keep a relationship strong.

About our guests:

Ellie is the co-host of the number one parenting podcast The Scummy Mummies.  She joined forces with Helen Thorn to become The Scummy Mummies in 2013 and they have gone on to produce an award-winning podcast, a sell-out touring comedy show, and a popular book. 

More resources:

Get in touch with amicable for information on the legal, financial and children aspects of separation. Book a free 15-minute consultation with an amicable expert through the amicable website.

#SeparationStories