The Divorce Podcast

This week Kate introduces Split Happens - a new digital platform created by amicable and Restored Lives to support young people aged 13-30 navigating parental separation.Kate is joined by Anthony Syder, Divorce & Co-parenting Specialist at amicable, Shakira Paulas, Marketing Consultant at Restored Lives, and Helen Pittard, a family Relationship Specialist and one of the founder Trustees of Voices in the middle. They talk about how Split Happens uses AI to help young people process emotions, access support and build confidence during family separation and change.Supporting young people through parental separation - a new approach.Kate and her guests begin by exploring the lack of accessible support and resources for young people with separated parents, and how Split Happens was created to thoughtfully fill that gap. They introduce Yuni - an AI companion built on carefully curated expert guidance and real peer experiences - and discuss why young people may find it helpful for starting important conversations, accessing support and reassurance and building the emotional skills that can support young people in their future relationships and beyond.The team explores why young people may find it easier to open up to Yuni than to parents or counsellors, and how the platform bridges the gap to real-world conversations and support.Trigger warning: this episode covers content that some listeners might find distressing, including poor mental health and suicide.Meet our experts Helen is a family Relationship Specialist working directly with families and their children, easing the separation process in order to reduce conflict. She is also a major advocate for the voice of the child and one of the founder Trustees of Voices in the Middle.Anthony Syder is a Negotiation Specialist and the team lead for amicable's financial consent order drafting team. His areas of interest include the voice of the child in separation and diverse families. Anthony was previously an accredited family mediator and also sat on the board of the Family Mediators Association.Shakira is the Social Media and Content Manager at Restored Lives, a charity supporting adults and children affected by divorce and separation. She works closely with the wider team to support course delivery, volunteer engagement, and participant outreach. Explore Split HappensWhether you’re a young person navigating separation or a parent wanting to support them, Split Happens is here for you. Get the support you need at splithappens.co.uk, and follow @splithappensofficial on Instagram.More divorce resourcesYou can get in touch with amicable for more information on the legal, financial and parenting aspects of separation. Book a free 15-minute consultation with an amicable expert today. We've created amicable space to give you more personalised support. Become a member of amicable space for bonus podcast episodes, exclusive webinars, articles and an interactive community. You can share your questions and get expert advice from amicable specialists. Learn more and sign up here.#Coparenting

In this Part 1 mini-episode, Kate shares gentle guidance on difficult conversations during divorce - from finances and children’s arrangements to talking about the future.Why difficult conversations matter during divorceKate explores why these conversations can feel so uncomfortable, what’s really happening beneath the surface when we avoid them and why leaning into them can make separation smoother and kinder for everyone involved.Don’t miss Part 2 on the 14th of January, where Kate shares simple, practical strategies to help these conversations feel calmer, clearer and more manageable.What we cover:The conversations people most commonly avoid during separationWhy certain topics feel especially hard to talk aboutWhy difficult conversations matter for your futureMore divorce resources:Got a question on divorce, separation or co-parenting you’d like us to cover? Share your thoughts with us at [email protected] or through direct messages on Instagram.We've created amicable space to give you more personalised support. Become a member of amicable space for bonus podcast episodes, exclusive webinars, articles and an interactive community. You can share your questions and get expert advice from amicable specialists. Start your free trial here.You can also get in touch with amicable for more information on the legal, financial and parenting aspects of separation. Book a free 15-minute consultation with an amicable expert today. Thanks for listening - here’s 3 months of the amicable co-parenting app for free! Open this link on your phone, install the app and create your account. Once that’s done, select 'I have a promo code' when setting up your family, enter PODCAST, press ‘apply’ and enjoy staying organised together.#EmotionalJourney

This week, we’re revisiting a much-loved episode from last year to bring reassurance and support to parents navigating the holidays without their children.In this episode, Kate is joined by amicable’s Divorce Specialists, Anthony Syder and Bec Jones, to share tips on coping with not being with your children. Perhaps your child is with their other parent, and you may be listening to this on Christmas or another special occasion.About the episode:This episode looks at tips and advice to help you get through. Kate and her guests begin by describing common arrangements for children and focus on typical holiday arrangements and the effects they might have on you as a parent if you don’t get to spend this time with your kids. They explore how arrangements might affect children’s feelings, and what steps you can take to ensure that everyone has a great Christmas day without feeling guilty or worried. Anthony and Bec also share tips on how to approach talking about Christmas or other holiday arrangements with your co-parent and planning the festive season in advance. They finish off by sharing some tips about self-care if you’re spending this Christmas without your children.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. Having had over 10 years of experience as a divorce lawyer, Bec leads amicable's Negotiation team. Bec played a vital role in developing the amicable process and is renowned for her empathetic approach. With expertise in child arrangements, blended families, and complex finances, she is a fountain of knowledge.More resources:We understand that special occasions can be hard to cope with if you're not spending them with your children.If you feel that you need some professional help with mental health or simply an unbiased person to talk about your situation with, please visit BetterHelp via this link to get 20% off the first month for amicable customers.Mind is a mental health charity that is always here to provide you with the help and support that you might need.Alternatively, please get in touch with your GP or call 111 to get mental health help and advice.Please 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.We've created amicable space to give you more personalised support. Become a member of amicable space for bonus podcast episodes, exclusive webinars, articles and an interactive community. You can share your questions and get expert advice from amicable specialists. Start your free trial here.Thanks for listening - here’s 3 months of the amicable co-parenting app for free! Open this link on your phone, install the app and create your account. Once that’s done, select 'I have a promo code' when setting up your family, enter PODCAST, press ‘apply’ and enjoy staying organised together.#Coparenting

This week, Kate tackles one of the trickiest challenges many separated parents face: what to do when your children don’t want to meet your new partner.Introducing a new partner (gently)In this solo episode, Kate explores why children often react strongly to the idea of meeting a parent’s new partner — from feelings of divided loyalty to worries about how their family dynamics might change. She talks through how timing, age-appropriate conversations and thoughtful pacing can make a big difference, and why looping in your co-parent (when possible) can help keep things calm and stable.Kate also shares guidance on how to avoid putting pressure on your children, how to let trust build at their pace and how to stay steady in your parenting role so they continue to feel grounded and secure.What we cover:Why children might resist meeting your new partnerChoosing the right time to introduce someone newHow to have age-appropriate conversationsGentle pacing for early introductionsStaying consistent and reliable as a parentMore divorce resources:Got a question on divorce, separation or co-parenting you’d like us to cover? Share your thoughts with us at [email protected] or through direct messages on Instagram.We've created amicable space to give you more personalised support. Become a member of amicable space for bonus podcast episodes, exclusive webinars, articles and an interactive community. You can share your questions and get expert advice from amicable specialists. Start your free trial here.You can also get in touch with amicable for more information on the legal, financial and parenting aspects of separation. Book a free 15-minute consultation with an amicable expert today. Thanks for listening - here’s 3 months of the amicable co-parenting app for free! Open this link on your phone, install the app and create your account. Once that’s done, select 'I have a promo code' when setting up your family, enter PODCAST, press ‘apply’ and enjoy staying organised together.#Coparenting

In this episode, Kate is joined by Simon Rogerson, founder of Octopus Group, to learn more about his divorce story.Why divorce was harder than building a businessThis episode begins with Simon sharing his separation story. He candidly explains why he felt his divorce was more stressful than building a business. He and Kate also discuss how friends' and colleagues' reactions to Simon's divorce weren’t always helpful and why ‘staying together for the kids’ might actually do more harm than good. They finish by exploring why the current legal system is broken, gender-biased and can lead to catastrophic consequences for divorcing couples.Trigger warning: this episode covers content that some listeners might find distressing, including poor mental health and suicide.What we cover:Simon’s divorce storyHow reactions from friends and colleagues aren't always helpfulReducing the stigma and shame around divorceWhy staying together for the kids might do more harm than goodHow the current legal system is brokenSimon Rogerson, founder of Octopus GroupSimon is the founder and Chief Executive of Octopus Group. Octopus, set up in 2000, employs more than 12,000 people across its financial services, energy and education businesses.Its energy transition business (Octopus Energy) is disrupting a £2 trillion industry by using technology to make the green revolution faster and cheaper for tens of millions of customers. Since establishment in 2015 it has grown to more than ten million customers across twelve countries, raising more than £2 billion in funding from some of the world’s leading investors. Its technology platform, Kraken, now powers some of the world’s leading energy companies, looking after more than 65 million customer accounts.Its financial services business includes Octopus Investments, Octopus Money, Seccl, Octopus Legacy and amicable. Its investment business manages £10 billion, specialising in venture capital, smaller companies and real estate investing. Its education business, Aurora, operates 21 special needs schools across the UK.Prior to setting up Octopus, Simon was on the graduate training programme at Mercury Asset Management (now part of Blackrock). He is a Chartered Financial Analyst and graduated with a first class MA from St Andrews University.More divorce resourcesYou can get in touch with amicable for more information on the legal, financial and parenting aspects of separation. Book a free 15-minute consultation with an amicable expert today. We've created amicable space to give you more personalised support. Become a member of amicable space for bonus podcast episodes, exclusive webinars, articles and an interactive community. You can share your questions and get expert advice from amicable specialists. Learn more and sign up here.Thanks for listening - here’s 3 months of the amicable co-parenting app for free! Open this link on your phone, install the app and create your account. Once that’s done, select 'I have a promo code' when setting up your family, enter PODCAST, press ‘apply’ and enjoy staying organised together.#SeparationStory