Life, love and the law

🎙️What to expect at the family court🎙️
Going to the family court can feel incredibly daunting. We all have visions of large rooms filled with judgemental onlookers, and judges with gavels. But the reality of the family court in the UK is very different.
In this episode, Liza speaks to her colleague Shivi Rajput about what to expect at the family court - what does it look like, what should you wear, can you take other people, should you take food? Shivi and Liza discuss how many family law cases really go to court, and how you can avoid it.
00:17 Introduction 
0:55 What is the family court? Explanation of the family courts in England and Wales
03:20 What does a court physically look like?
04:45 The different types of hearing within children proceedings
07:02 How do financial proceedings work in the family court?
08:54 The importance of trying to settle disputes out of court
10:59 Practical tips for going to court
12:46 Do you need to speak to a judge at court?
14:03 Understanding litigants in person in family court proceedings
15:50 Practical protection for victims of domestic abuse
17:26 Can I do a remote hearing if I live far away?
19:10 Will the judge speak to children?
21:06 Top tips for dealing with a family law dispute
Useful links
How to settle a divorce out of court https://www.stowefamilylaw.co.uk/family-law/divorce/dissolving-a-civil-partnership/ 
The FDR hearing and the first appointment: what you need to know https://www.stowefamilylaw.co.uk/stowe-support/the-fdr-hearing-and-the-first-appointment-what-you-need-to-know/ 
Preparing for family court https://www.stowefamilylaw.co.uk/stowe-support/preparing-for-family-court/ 
How to manage financial hearings in the family court https://youtu.be/pAhP_73DETY?si=aqE5J4jSpb1-Tk4A 
Children in the family court https://open.spotify.com/episode/4bfBCfFnqxTVD24MO2M5AV?si=764a606bce3a41f7 
If you need support with the issues raised in this podcast, or would like to speak to a family lawyer, contact Stowe at: https://bit.ly/35WPSj2

Join our list to get the latest from our lawyers, divorce coaches and relationship experts sent monthly to your inbox. Everything you need, in one 
🔎 Access further free resources to help you through a relationship breakdown and beyond at Stowe support.  

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/stowefamilylawuk 
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/stowefamilylaw 
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/stowe-family-law/ 
YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/c/StoweFamilyLaw1

This podcast is brought to you by the Stowe talks team at Stowe Family Law - https://www.stowefamilylaw.co.uk/

🎙️How does neurodiversity affect relationships and breakups?🎙️
Neurodiversity, as Dr Angharad Rudkin, experienced Clinical Psychologist, explains, refers to the natural variation in how brains work and process information. This can mean that, in some relationships, neurodivergent individuals face different challenges than those experienced by neurotypical people. These unique challenges can manifest in stressful situations, such as adding children to a family, or divorce or separation.
In this episode, Liza Gatrell speaks to Dr Angharad about how neurodiversity can impact relationships and relationship breakdowns, both from the perspective of neurodivergent adults and neurodivergent children. They explore the impact, as well as offering insight into how to work with neurodiversity, not against it.
00:26 Welcome and introductions
1:45 What is neurodiversity?
2:33 Is neurodiversity becoming a buzzword or is there better awareness?
5:09 The different ways neurodiversity can manifest
6:21 How do different neurodiversities impact relationships and parenting?
10:39 Relationship breakdowns between neurotypical and neurodiverse partners
13:14 Understanding how neurotypical can support a neurodivergent partner
14:36 Additional challenges faced in separations involving neurodiversities
17:28 Strategies to help manage the stress of separation
18:51 Telling your lawyer about your neurodiversity
21:25 Supporting neurodiverse children through separation 
27:11 How to tell children you’re separating 
31:26 Where to get extra support as a neurodivergent individual through separation
32:47 Talking to your lawyer about what help you need 
39:45 It’s ok to be different 
Useful links 
Coping with divorce as a neurodivergent individual https://youtu.be/EQUikkUVaLA?si=8WHMNsKSvpS1NkBI
Parenting after divorce or separation https://youtu.be/vlvi_O08INY?si=Gdk5H9-I6OL3b3MS 
Supporting neurodiverse children through divorce https://youtu.be/Wyuv-sFlRT4?si=wPSNYS-q557Bei5J 
Guide to creating a parenting plan https://www.stowefamilylaw.co.uk/premium-content/?type=guide&item=creating-a-parenting-plan 
Parenting plan template https://www.stowefamilylaw.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/SFL_Premium-handbook-Parenting-plan-template.pdf 
How to have difficult conversations and avoid arguments https://www.stowefamilylaw.co.uk/stowe-support/how-to-have-a-difficult-conversation-and-avoid-arguments/ 
If you need support with the issues raised in this podcast, or would like to speak to a family lawyer, contact Stowe at: https://bit.ly/35WPSj2 
Join our email list to get the latest from our lawyers, divorce coaches and relationship experts sent monthly to your inbox. Everything you need, in one place https://mailchi.mp/69a5d247d3ba/stowetalks
🔎 Access further free resources to help you through a relationship breakdown and beyond at Stowe Support https://bit.ly/41heUWN 
🎧 Listen to our podcast on Spotify - https://spoti.fi/3L6VFcE 
🎬 Watch on YouTube - https://bit.ly/3Mwa4wG 
Follow us on socials
TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@lifelovelawpodcast?lang=en 
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/stowefamilylawuk 
If you need support with the issues raised in this podcast, or would like to speak to a family lawyer, contact Stowe at: https://bit.ly/35WPSj2

Join our list to get the latest from our lawyers, divorce coaches and relationship experts sent monthly to your inbox. Everything you need, in one 
🔎 Access further free resources to help you through a relationship breakdown and beyond at Stowe support.  

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/stowefamilylawuk 
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/stowefamilylaw 
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/stowe-family-law/ 
YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/c/StoweFamilyLaw1

This podcast is brought to you by the Stowe talks team at Stowe Family Law - https://www.stowefamilylaw.co.uk/

🎙️Does adultery affect divorce in the UK?🎙️
Adultery doesn’t always cause the breakdown of a relationship, there are ways to repair after infidelity. But when a couple decides that their marriage or partnership has come to an end after an affair, the main question people ask is ‘does adultery affect divorce’. The reality is that legally speaking, no it doesn’t.
In this episode, host Liza Gatrell is joined by her colleague Emily Beven, a UK divorce lawyer based in Reading to discuss adultery and divorce. In what circumstances might an affair impact a divorce settlement or child arrangements? Find out in the episode.
00:17 Introductions
00:38 How does no-fault divorce impact divorce proceedings?
02:00 Are there any circumstances when adultery might be taken into account in divorce
03:35 Cases where ‘conduct’ has impacted financial settlements 
04:54 Reframing how to deal with resentment against an ex-partner
06:47 What happens if the adulterer has a new partner?
09:57 Top tips for divorcing after an affair
Useful links
Adultery and divorce https://www.stowefamilylaw.co.uk/family-law/divorce/adultery-and-divorce/ 
Top myths about divorce and affairs https://www.stowefamilylaw.co.uk/stowe-support/adultery-and-divorce-the-top-ten-myths/ 
What should I do if my spouse is having an affair? https://www.stowefamilylaw.co.uk/stowe-support/what-should-i-do-if-my-husband-wife-is-having-an-affair-2/ 
Keeping children in the centre - not the middle - of divorce and separation https://www.stowefamilylaw.co.uk/stowe-support/keeping-children-at-the-centre-not-the-middle-of-separation-and-divorce/
Navigating the conversation: telling your children about your new partner https://www.stowefamilylaw.co.uk/stowe-support/navigating-the-conversation-telling-your-children-about-your-new-partner-after-divorce/ 
Life after an affair: divorce and blended families https://open.spotify.com/episode/37l9HFDZj0BmxH37QEJWd3?si=a5650db3aba645d1
If you need support with the issues raised in this podcast, or would like to speak to a family lawyer, contact Stowe at: https://bit.ly/35WPSj2 
Join our email list to get the latest from our lawyers, divorce coaches and relationship experts sent monthly to your inbox. Everything you need, in one place https://mailchi.mp/69a5d247d3ba/stowetalks
🔎 Access further free resources to help you through a relationship breakdown and beyond at Stowe Support https://bit.ly/41heUWN 
🎧 Listen to our podcast on Spotify - https://spoti.fi/3L6VFcE 
🎬 Watch on YouTube - https://bit.ly/3Mwa4wG 
Follow us on socials
TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@lifelovelawpodcast?lang=en 
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/stowefamilylawuk 
If you need support with the issues raised in this podcast, or would like to speak to a family lawyer, contact Stowe at: https://bit.ly/35WPSj2

Join our list to get the latest from our lawyers, divorce coaches and relationship experts sent monthly to your inbox. Everything you need, in one 
🔎 Access further free resources to help you through a relationship breakdown and beyond at Stowe support.  

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/stowefamilylawuk 
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/stowefamilylaw 
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/stowe-family-law/ 
YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/c/StoweFamilyLaw1

This podcast is brought to you by the Stowe talks team at Stowe Family Law - https://www.stowefamilylaw.co.uk/

🎙️Life after an affair: divorce and blended families🎙️
Life, love and the law, a podcast by Stowe Family Law
This episode of Life, love and the law welcomes our first ever couple to the podcast. Tom Nash, a regular face with us, brings along his partner Donna to discuss their lived experiences of affairs, divorce and building a blended family.
Tom takes off his ‘divorce coach’ hat, to get into the nitty gritty of how the affair came about, the fallout and the next 9 years of hard work and pain to get to where they are now - a successful, happy blended family with his ex-wife and Donna’s ex-husband!
00:53 Introductions
02:28 Tom introduces the topic of his affair and Donna goes on to discuss her separation and parenting
04:38 How Tom and Donna met and the end of Tom’s marriage
06:38 How could conversations have happened in those early days to be more respectful?
09:00 Coping with the aftermath of telling your spouse you want to divorce
11:08 Donna discusses the breakdown of her marriage and her experience of divorced parents
14:45 Lack of understanding around the divorce process itself
15:25 The legal implications of an affair on divorce proceedings
18:28 How does a divorce coach work with people on the edge of a breakup 
20:20 Can you recover from an affair?
23:00 The role of a stepparent in a blended family
24:14 Should you stay together for the kids?
26:00 How did Tom and Donna get from the affair to a successful blended family?
33:45 Biggest reflections on the impact of an affair and how to move forward

Useful links
Adultery and divorce https://www.stowefamilylaw.co.uk/family-law/divorce/adultery-and-divorce/ 
Top myths about divorce and affairs https://www.stowefamilylaw.co.uk/stowe-support/adultery-and-divorce-the-top-ten-myths/ 
What should I do if my spouse is having an affair? https://www.stowefamilylaw.co.uk/stowe-support/what-should-i-do-if-my-husband-wife-is-having-an-affair-2/ 
Avoiding the top divorce mistakes https://open.spotify.com/episode/0miHzVWzorsoj2QH5XOgi6?si=138279a774194e5b 
How to introduce a new partner to the kids https://open.spotify.com/episode/3j7T2cGqTrFqb0rV9xat8u?si=3aaf756e1a9647c7 
Parenting plan template https://www.stowefamilylaw.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/SFL_Premium-handbook-Parenting-plan-template.pdf 
If you need support with the issues raised in this podcast, or would like to speak to a family lawyer, contact Stowe at: https://bit.ly/35WPSj2

Join our list to get the latest from our lawyers, divorce coaches and relationship experts sent monthly to your inbox. Everything you need, in one 
🔎 Access further free resources to help you through a relationship breakdown and beyond at Stowe support.  

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/stowefamilylawuk 
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/stowefamilylaw 
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/stowe-family-law/ 
YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/c/StoweFamilyLaw1

This podcast is brought to you by the Stowe talks team at Stowe Family Law - https://www.stowefamilylaw.co.uk/

🎙️Understanding a sexless marriage🎙️
Life, love and the law, a podcast by Stowe Family Law
A sexless marriage is one in which the couple has sex less than 10 times a year, as expert sex therapist Natasha Silverman explains. But the important thing is not necessarily the frequency, but the emotional connection between two partners, and what happens when that disappears.
In this episode of Life, love and the law, host and family lawyer Liza Gatrell is joined by relationship and psychosexual therapist Natasha Silverman to discuss sexless marriages, understanding how they come about and what you can do as a couple if you are struggling with intimacy. They also explore how to know if your marriage or relationship has come to an end. 
00:35 Introductions with Liza and Natasha 
02:10 What is a sexless marriage or relationship
02:50 Key trends among sexless partners
03:52 How do you handle periods of sexlessness in relationship
05:35 How does sexual desire work in men vs women?
06:50 The normalisation of duty and expectation around sex 
08:30 How to recover from a sexless relationship as a couple and as individuals
11:42 What are the common traits of an unhealthy sexual relationship?
13:34 Why do people go through sexlessness in relationships?
15:17 The honeymoon period and what happens after
17:55 Does a sexless relationship lead to cheating?
19:02 How to broach the topic of sex therapy with a partner
20:53 When do you know it’s time to break up?
22:52 Do you need to share why your marriage has ended with a lawyer?
23:50 Moving forward after a sexless relationship
25:55 Top tips if you’re in a sexless relationship
Useful Links
Signs your partner doesn’t love you anymore https://www.stowefamilylaw.co.uk/stowe-support/signs-your-partner-doesnt-love-you-anymore/
Is it normal to have doubts in a relationship? https://www.stowefamilylaw.co.uk/stowe-support/is-it-normal-to-have-doubts-in-a-relationship/ 
How can you tell if your marriage is over? https://www.stowefamilylaw.co.uk/stowe-support/how-can-you-tell-if-your-marriage-is-over/ 
Is it normal to feel unsure even if your relationship looks good on paper? https://open.spotify.com/episode/6hbSuuBZcEPKghfwrmjMzs?si=f182d7fe46c04703 
If you need support with the issues raised in this podcast, or would like to speak to a family lawyer, contact Stowe at: https://bit.ly/35WPSj2 
Join our email list to get the latest from our lawyers, divorce coaches and relationship experts sent monthly to your inbox. Everything you need, in one place https://mailchi.mp/69a5d247d3ba/stowetalks
🔎 Access further free resources to help you through a relationship breakdown and beyond at Stowe Support https://bit.ly/41heUWN 
🎧 Listen to our podcast on Spotify - https://spoti.fi/3L6VFcE 
🎬 Watch on YouTube - https://bit.ly/3Mwa4wG 

Follow us on socials
TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@lifelovelawpodcast?lang=en 
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/stowefamilylawuk 
If you need support with the issues raised in this podcast, or would like to speak to a family lawyer, contact Stowe at: https://bit.ly/35WPSj2

Join our list to get the latest from our lawyers, divorce coaches and relationship experts sent monthly to your inbox. Everything you need, in one 
🔎 Access further free resources to help you through a relationship breakdown and beyond at Stowe support.  

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/stowefamilylawuk 
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/stowefamilylaw 
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/stowe-family-law/ 
YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/c/StoweFamilyLaw1

This podcast is brought to you by the Stowe talks team at Stowe Family Law - https://www.stowefamilylaw.co.uk/