On this episode, Ben and Heather discuss Wills and estate planning, bringing our attention to the many things that can go wrong if you fail to keep your Will and estate plan up to date with your life circumstances, particularly following a family breakdown. They discuss the following questions and scenarios:

1/ What happens if you die without a Will?

2/ What happens if you have children from your first marriage, remarry and don't change your Will?

3/ What happens if you separate from your partner, but don't change your Will?

4/ What happens if you divorce your partner, but don't change your Will?

5/ What if you have children, but don't change your Will to include them as beneficiaries?

6/ What if you have children and don't specify guardianship?

7/ When you change your Will can you add notes to an existing Will or do you need to start again?

8/ What assets should (and should not) be included in your Will?

9/ What happens if the estate has debts?

10/ What are the responsibilities of an executor and what should you look for when choosing your executor?

11/ What happens if you have a serious accident or illness that leaves you unable to manage your affairs?

12/ Do you need a lawyer for estate planning or can you DIY?

This month, Ben and Heather were joined by experienced  clinical psychologist Warwick McClelland to talk about divorce and separation when children with special needs are involved.  Topics covered include:

This month, Ben and Heather delved into the topic of de facto relationships, answering the following questions:

Property settlement is one of the first things that separating couples need to deal with, and often one of the most emotional.  In this episode, Ben and Heather answer the top six most commonly asked questions on property settlement.  Over the years Ben and Heather have dealt with so many questions about property settlement, both in their practice and through the podcast.  They have whittled down those questions to the 6 most frequently asked and on today's show provide you with answers.  Here are the six questions:

Ben and Heather discuss same-sex separation together with clinical psychologist Dr. Catherine Boland.  The founder of Relationspace, a team of skilled professionals helping people going through divorce to better manage their circumstances and protect the psychological health of their children, Catherine is ideally placed to provide insights into the social science side of separation.  While Heather answers the more technically legal questions.

The team cover the following topics and questions:

Ben and Heather welcome Dr Atina Manvelian, a psychologist and clinical scientist. As a postdoctoral researcher at Stony Brook University and Stanford University, she studies how our relationships impact our mental health and conducts research on how we can improve the quality of our relationships. Of particular interest for our listeners is Dr Manvelian's specialty in adjustment following a breakup or divorce. So she is the perfect guest to help tackle the topic of how to make separation actually work.

This episode deals with the following questions:

1. What does a "good" separation look like?

2. How separations can get off on the wrong foot when one person has been thinking about separation for a long time and the other is taken by surprise.

3. How can couples avoid getting into a spiral of anger and blame that will be hard to unwind.

4. Managing a solo life and dealing with loneliness.

5. Is it possible to re-partner too quickly?

6. How to cope with the emotions that arise when your ex re-partners.

7. How separating couples should talk to their children about separation.

8. The importance of boundaries, how to set them and stick to them.

At the end of the episode, Dr Manvelian gives us her top three tips on making separation work. Not to be missed!

This month Ben and Heather addressed a wide array of family law questions from the community, touching on a number of common issues faced by people going through divorce and separation.

The questions included:

Gemma Rope, solicitor with Bryant McKinnon is our guest host for this episode.  She and Heather welcome psychologist and mediator Anthony Smith to talk about how to make mediation work.  With over 25 years and 2000 mediations under his belt, Anthony calls on his experience to provide tips and advice that will help to realise positive outcomes in family law mediation.

Topics and questions covered include:

The show also makes a strong case for why it's worth making mediation work and avoiding the emotional and financial costs of Court.

In family law matters the sale of the family home is often the most difficult and emotional part of the separation process.  And everything is just that much harder in the current environment, with rising interest rates and inflation making the entire market uncertain.

For regional families things are even more opaque, because so much of what we see on social media or television relates to big city real estate markets.  So it can be difficult to figure out the local dynamics.

To help our Coffs Coast listeners get a handle on the market and the issues related to selling a home after separation, Ben and Heather welcome two local experts.

Stacey Parks is a Certified Practising Valuer with property valuation specialists Herron Todd White.  Craig Gardner is a partner and sales agent for Coffs Coast realtor Nolan Partners.  Collectively this foursome provide some insights into the following commonly asked questions.

With the holiday season approaching, Ben and Heather turn their attention to coping with holidays after separation or divorce.  To help them deal with this highly emotive issue, they welcome back to the program Elisabeth Shaw, CEO of Relationships Australia NSW.  Elisabeth is also a clinical and counselling psychologist with a specialty in couple and family therapy with over 25 years experience to share with our listeners.

Topics covered include:

At the end of the show Ben asked both Elisabeth and Heather for their one piece of advice for newly separated couples facing their first Christmas apart.  So make sure you listen to the conclusion of this episode!