This month's show focuses on assisted reproduction, and the legal and psychological implications. Ben and Heather talk to Miranda Montrone, a Sydney based psychologist who specialises in counselling in infertility and assisted reproduction.

One in six couples in Australia and New Zealand suffer infertility, and of course, a growing number of same sex couples and single women are choosing to have children. So it's not surprising that many people that 1 in 25 Australian babies is not born via IVF. The percentage for surrogacy is smaller, yet it still accounts for an estimated 300 Australian births a year.

Miranda Montrone is a practicing psychologist with over 30 years experience counselling in infertility, IVF and surrogacy. She is considered the pre-eminent expert in this field. As well as her ongoing counselling work with clients, Miranda has written a number of papers on IVF and surrogacy, presented at conferences for both health professionals and family lawyers, and provided advice to Parliament when they were drafting the 2010 NSW Surrogacy Act.

This month Benjamin and Heather fielded questions about family matters from the community. Here are the questions addressed in this podcast.

•What are the consequences for a mother if she takes her children and restricts access to the father for many month before the court takes control? And if the father were to do the same, would the situation play out the same?

•I need to divorce my husband but he is in Ghana and I'm not sure if I can get papers to him. Can the papers be emailed to him to be formally served?

•My son is 44 and we have just located his father for the first time since my son was born. Is it possible for me to claim back child support for all the years when I had to look after our son on my own?

•My wife and I agreed it was time to separate a few months ago and I moved out to my own apartment. We are young and don't have much in the way of assets and no children, so we've pretty much sorted out the money side of things on our own. I want to move on with my life so I've completed all the paperwork to file for divorce, but my wife now refuses to sign. What should I do?

•My husband and I married almost 10 years ago and at that time he was a widower with a 2 year old daughter. That child is now 12 and from my point of view she is my daughter since I have raised her for most of her life. We have since had 2 more children who obviously think of her as a sister. My husband and I are now planning to separate and I'm wondering what rights I have with regard to custody or visitation for my 12-year-old daughter? Will she be separated from our other two children?

Ben and Heather talk to Dr. Doug Andrews, a psychiatrist from Coffs Harbour's Barringa Hospital, about one of the toughest topics in family law: domestic violence. Dr. Andrews has frequently treated victims of family violence in his practice and has an in depth understanding of the mental health impacts of physical and emotional abuse.

The thorniest questions in any divorce or separation often relate to the kids. In the episode Heather and Ben discuss child-focussed ways to handle financial and living arrangements to achieve the best outcomes for your children.

Specific topics discussed include:

•Budgeting for the long term commitment to raising your children;

•Child Support Agency assessments;

•Managing changes in financial situation after divorce;

•School fees and child support payments;

•Capitalised child support;

•Finding the best living arrangements depending on your child's developmental stage;

•Managing living arrangements for blended families;

•Handling relocation of one parent;

•Help available to work out optimum arrangements.

Divorce and separation can be a long and emotional process. You need to take care of yourself in order to make wise decisions in a stressful time. In this episode Ben and Heather talk to Monica Joseph, a private practice, Medicare accredited social worker and counsellor, who specialises in counselling people going through relationship breakdowns.

Today's show touches on the following topics:

•How to start caring for yourself right from the start.

•How to go the distance in a long, drawn out divorce.

•Relaxation and stress relief techniques.

•When is it time to seek help from a counsellor?

•How to avoid internalising harsh words from your ex.

In this episode Ben and Heather addressed some specific questions submitted by people in the Coffs Coast community. It is likely that these questions will be similar to those being asked by many listeners.

The five questions addressed were:

•When a couple separate, is ownership of cars automatically assumed to be the person who has the registration, regardless of who bought the vehicle?

•Do you have any suggestions on how to work out joint parental orders when one parent is Fly In Fly Out?

•I'm preparing myself to ask my husband for a divorce. I'm really nervous because I don't think he sees this coming and is likely to react really emotionally. Do you have any recommendations on what I need to have prepared before I start the conversation?

•My wife has mental health problems - bipolar disorder specifically. I am very worried about my children spending extended periods of time with her on their own. Do you think it might be possible for me to get sole custody?

•My partner and I have been trying to manage our separation without getting lawyers involved. We've been doing pretty well but have recently come up against disagreements on the value of the house and how to divide this asset. Is it possible for me to engage a mediator to help us work this through, without have to involve a lawyer?

Everyone going through a separation wants a fair property settlement. The problems arise when your idea of what's fair and that of your ex-partner are very different, or when one party wants to use property settlement as a means of punishment for past hurts. In this episode, Heather McKinnon, one of Australia's foremost family lawyers, shares her top tips for getting a fair deal.

Benjamin Bryant and Heather McKinnon talk to forensic psychologist Dr Ian Nisbet about how to help your children cope with the trauma of divorce and separation. Too often children are the unintended collateral damage in a separation. This program aims to help parents know what to do and what not to do, and also recognise when it may be time to get additional support for their children.