The Family Matters Show

By Heather McKinnon & Benjamin Bryant

Specialist family lawyers Benjamin Bryant and Heather McKinnon and their special guests answer your questions about divorce, separation, children's matters, property settlement and family court. They ... more

· Education

FAQs about The Family Matters Show:

How many episodes does The Family Matters Show have?

The podcast currently has 58 episodes available.

The Family Matters Show episodes:

October 27, 2022Substance Abuse & Family Law
This month Ben and Heather talk to toxicologist and forensic medicine specialist Professor Edward Ogden about substance abuse and family law. Professor Ogden has been studying the impact of drugs and alcohol for over 40 years. He is Deputy Director of the Centre for Human Psychopharmacology at Swinburne University, Addiction Medicine Specialist for Goulburn Valley Health and St Vincent's Hospital in Melbourne and a forensic medical consultant with Clinical Forensic Medicine.
Professor Ogden shares his experience and knowledge on the impacts of drug and alcohol misuse and methods of testing. He and Heather McKinnon also discuss why drug and alcohol misuse if a concern in family law cases and how the Court deals with substance abuse claims.
The show deals with the following areas:
The science of toxicology.

The most common drugs affecting our community.

Why people abuse drugs and alcohol.

The relevance of substance abuse in family law matters.

How the Family Court deals with substance abuse allegations.

Types of testing used to measure drug abuse, including:Urine and breath tests, Carbohydrate Deficiency Transfer (CDT) test, hair testing

Possible means of contaminating drug tests, including: Shaving or using hair dyes before a hair test, claiming the drug got into your system from the environment, claiming your prescription drug was mistaken for an illicit substance, drinking large amounts of water before a urine test
...more
33min
September 18, 2022Estate Planning after Separation or Divorce
Ben talks to Sydney-based barrister Louise Goodchild and solicitor and colleague Gemma Rope about the importance of estate planning during and after divorce or separation. Wills, powers of attorney and superannuation nominations are just about the last thing anyone wants to consider when facing the trauma of family breakdown. But as Louise and Gemma make clear, problems can arise if you put off considering these issues.
Topics addressed include:
Estate planning documents that need to be reconsidered following separation or divorce?

What happens to your estate if you die without changing your Will after separation or divorce?

"Joint" assets - did you know that these are not part of your Will?

Superannuation binding death nominations - how do these work?

What needs to be considered if you re-partner after divorce?
...more
30min
July 22, 2022 Getting Ready for Court
This month Ben and Heather discuss how to get ready for Court. Their first piece of advice is to avoid bringing family law disputes to Court if at all possible. But in the event that you do have to go to Court this podcast will help you prepare, as Ben and Heather consider the following:
Why does it take so long to actually get in front of a judge on a family law matters?
Where is the Court physically located, and when are Court sessions now managed online?
Do you have to hire a barrister to take a matter to Court?
How much is it going to cost to take a matter to Court? (brace yourself for the answer!)
How do your lawyer and barrister prepare your case for Court?
Tips on what to wear and how to behave in Court and for online proceedings.
How does the Court decide who a child will live with or spend time with?
How does the Court decide property settlements?
If you don't like the Court's decision, can you appeal?
...more
26min
July 03, 2022 Forensic Accounting: Valuing Businesses for Family Law
This month Ben and Heather talk to forensic accountant Suzanne Delbridge about valuing a business when separating.
Suzanne Delbridge is the Director and Founder of Delbridge Forensic Accounting in Newcastle and a very experienced forensic accountant. For listeners who may not know, a forensic account is specially trained to prepare financial information for a court of law.
At the start of the podcast, Suzanne clarified exactly what a forensic accountant does and why they are absolutely critical when valuing a business. Ben and Heather then delved into the following questions with Suzanne:
When is it appropriate to use a forensic account, rather than simply using your company or personal accountant? (Clue: it's never appropriate to use your company or personal accountant to value a business in divorce proceedings!)
What are the different methods of valuation?
How does an accountant differentiate between a business with significant value and one that is just a vehicle for owner income?
Why do we sometimes see a business valued at close to nothing, when similar businesses are advertised a high prices?
How do forensic accountants take into account lack of control or difficulty of sale when valuing a portion of a shared business?
Can a forensic accountant identify if a business is being used to hide wealth?
Do forensic accountants need to be involved in valuing self managed superannuation funds?
Can the settlement structure in a divorce really make a significant difference to either party's tax bill?
...more
33min
June 03, 2022 Successful Coparenting
In this episode family law experts Benjamin Bryant and Heather McKinnon talk to psychologist Michael Hawton about the secrets to successful co-parenting. Michael is a child and family psychologist who has been working with families in Australia and overseas for over 30 years. He is also the founder of Parentshop resource hub for parents, educator and child and family specialists. Michael has also found time to write two books: Talk Less, Liston More and Engaging Adolescents and has two children of his own.
We discussed the following topics with Michael:
•Is co-parenting the right option for everyone?
•How important is a parenting plan to co-parenting success?
•How to resolve differences without tearing the kids apart.
•How to manage changeovers effectively.
•How to manage special occasions without hostility and resentment.
•At what should children's wishes be considered when decision making?
...more
29min
April 13, 2022 Independent Children's Lawyers
This month Heather and Ben spoke to Gabrielle Cantrall, the acting Solicitor in Charge of Family Law with LegalAid NSW, about Independent Children's Lawyers (ICL). These are the specialist lawyers the Court appoints to represent children in complex family law matters.
LegalAid NSW is the body responsible for accrediting Independent Children's Lawyers in New South Wales, so Gabrielle is uniquely qualified to talk about their role and responsibilities. Both Ben and Heather are qualified Independent Children's Lawyers with many years combined experience working in this space. They are able to provide perspective on the day to day of working with and for children in family law cases.
Topics covered include:
•Understanding Independent Children's Lawyer's
•What is an Independent Children's Lawyer?
•What is a lawyer's role when acting as an ICL?
•How does a lawyer qualify as an ICL?
•When does the Court appoint an ICL?
•The parents' role with an ICL:
•Do parents get a say in who will represent their child?
•Can parents sit in when an ICL meets with their child?
•Does an ICL keep parents informed?
•What if a parent is unhappy with their child's lawyer?
•Acting as an ICL:
•Does an ICL act on the instructions of a child?
•How does an ICL form a view on what's in a child's best interest?
•What experts does an ICL use to help them form this view?
•What if a child has been told what to say to an ICL?
•How does an ICL represent a child in Court?
•What is the role of the ICL at the end of proceedings?
...more
34min
February 24, 2022 Juggling Work & Parenthood
https://bryantmckinnon.com.au/family-matter/childrens-matters/juggling-work-parenthood/
...more
42min
January 24, 2022 Where to Get Support
On this podcast Ben and Heather talk about the many agencies and resources that provide free or low cost support when going through a relationship breakdown. It's important to know there is help out there - you are not alone.
The areas covered include:
Resources to help you make the stay or go decision
Resources for people dealing with domestic violence or crisis situations
Resources for advice and assistance with family law matters
Resources for mediation and dispute resolution
Resources to help children get through separation
Be sure to check out the show notes which includes a complete listing of all the agencies and resources discussed.
...more
17min
January 06, 2022 Should I stay or should I go?
This month Ben and Heather spoke with Elisabeth Shaw, CEO of Relationships Australia NSW about one of the most difficult questions couples have to answer: Should I stay or should I go? Not only is the question fraught, it bears the weight of the many lives that will be impacted by the answer.
The following questions are answered:
•What are the signs that it is time to go?
•How much should consideration for the children affect the stay or go decision?
•How to confront your partner when unhappy with your relationship.
•What are the signs that the relationship could heal?
•Is it helpful to talk to your friends about the "stay or go" decision?
•At what point should you consider professional relationship counselling?Elisabeth also provided her thoughts on the following general scenarios:
•My partner and I get along on most day-to-day issues but we differ on some of the big questions like politics and climate change which causes huge arguments sometimes.
•Our problems started when the kids reached school age. We simply can't agree on how to raise our children but we can still have fun and laugh together.
•Things are good with my partner most of the time. But I'm just not sure they are good enough.
•My partner and I get on really well when it's just the two of us. But I can't stand to be around her friends and family. They make me uncomfortable.
...more
35min
November 26, 2021 New Court. New Rules.
This month Ben and Heather had a look at the new rules governing the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia which merged in September 2021. While the Family Law Act has not changed, the newly merged Court has been given increased resources and has implemented new processes to speed up the Court process which has been mired in logjams for a number of years.
Ben and Heather cover off the following questions:
•Why have the Courts merged?
•How do the new Court rules actually affect separating couples who head to Court?
•How does the new "case management pathway" work?
•How has the increased emphasis on dispute resolutions impacted proceedings?
•What is the affect of additional Court resources?
•How do the new rules impact on Property Settlement disputes?
•How do the new rules impact on Children's Matters?
•How is the Court using electronic hearings to fast track proceedings?
...more
27min

FAQs about The Family Matters Show:

How many episodes does The Family Matters Show have?

The podcast currently has 58 episodes available.

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The Family Matters Show

FAQs about The Family Matters Show:

How many episodes does The Family Matters Show have?

The Family Matters Show episodes:

FAQs about The Family Matters Show:

How many episodes does The Family Matters Show have?

More shows like The Family Matters Show

Mamamia Out Loud

No Filter

Shameless

7am

Think Foley's

The Divorce Course Podcast