In this first episode of Splitting Up Dot Pod we hear Mandy's separation story.

For year Mandy suffered mental torture and financial abuse before the discovery of her husband's gambling debts led her to leave him. She didn't know where to turn, but luckily had her friend Joanne Major - a family lawyer and founder of SplittingUp.com - who was able to help.

Many people facing separation don't know where to turn, so we hear from Joanne about the kind of help that's available and how to cut through the confusion of the internet to get real help from professional people.

In this second episode of Splitting Up Dot Pod, Joanne Major revisits Mandy's separation story to dig a bit deeper into the problems she faced over finances and protecting her daughter.

Mandy was financially abused as her partner controlled the family finances - but when she discovered all his gambling debts, it was the final straw.

First Joanne speaks to specialist independent financial advisor Fiona Sharp of Verve Financial planning who shares her experience of dealing with the financial arrangements around separation.

Then Joanne hears from children's legal specialist Sam Carter at her firm Major Family Law, who talks about how to think about the children when separating.

In the third episode of the series, Joanne Major hears from "Kate" about her experience of moving to Spain with her new partner and the complications of going to court when her ex-husband tried to stop her taking the children.

Joanne talks to children specialist Sam Carter from Major Family Law about how detailed preparation can make all the difference when a case comes on front of a judge.

Finally Joanne chats to Spanish children law specialist Jose Maria del Rio Villo in Marbella who deals with couples separating and then wanting to take the children back to the UK...and has a warning for anyone thinking about doing this: plan well and ask for advice.

This episode of Splitting Up dot pod hears the story of love after loss and the importance of good advice when it comes to wills and financially protecting the children from a previous relationship.

Family lawyer Joanne Major hears from "Elizabeth" who began a new relationship after the death of her husband and the father of her children, only to see it break down.

Joanne hears about the huge differences between "common law" relationships and marriage from Lucinda Connell, an experienced divorce and financial remedy solicitor and the importance of making a will from Christian Swinburne, a property and wills expert.

Andrew spent four years battling in and out of court to sort out a fair and equitable financial settlement on divorce and fighting hard to ensure his kids weren’t taken away to live in another part of the country

SplittingUp.com founder Joanne Major hears a dad's story - of how Andrew considered suicide before seeing a counsellor and receiving some life changing advice.

Going to court is never easy, but there are alternatives such as appointing your own Judge for a private financial dispute resolution hearing or arbitration.

Joanne speaks to relationship counsellor Graeme Armstrong about the benefits of counselling when facing life changing issues like divorce, and then discusses what it’s like to go to court - or another route - with Anna Hunter, a specialist divorce and children’s solicitor at Major Family Law.

With all the doom and gloom that often surrounds separation, we start the first episode of 2023 with a story about a “good divorce” as David tells the story of how his break up went well and wasn’t acrimonious. 

He and his ex-wife Claire deliberately decided from the beginning to agree on settling the finances fairly and equally, and to remain good friends as they co-parented their children after the divorce. 

It’s called an “order by consent” and this episode SplittingUp.com founder Joanne Major finds out more about how best to approach a divorce when both sides are amicable by speaking to Major Family Law specialist Katie Wright. 

But despite the goodwill, there can be pitfalls along the way and legal advice is always recommended, especially when international property and assets are part of the agreement – as was the case for David. Joanne hears from international family law specialist and broadcaster Lucy Loizou from The International Family Law Group about how to navigate international waters.

Sadly, the fallout for some following separation or divorce can be the children of the family. On occasions the children's feelings can be forgotten amid the animosity and fighting over finances.

In the worst cases, children can be caught up in the conflict as parents involve them in the dispute by distorting how they interact or think about the other parent.

"James" had a tough break-up and tells SplittingUp.com founder Joanne Major about how he tried to hang on to the relationship with his son despite efforts by his ex to sow division.

But there are techniques and tools out there to help, and Joanne speaks to Sam Carter of Major Family Law about how the law can help with parental alienation, conflict, and hospitality and to James Evans about the shared parenting app Our Family Wizard.

Silver Splitters are people who separate or divorce later in their lives, typically in their 50s or 60s and sometimes even in their 70s or 80s.

Ending a relationship, civil partnership, or marriage is tough at any age, but when you are approaching retirement or have already retired, it can be especially hard. 

As well as the obvious emotional fallout following the breakdown of a long relationship, many people find themselves with financial concerns and worries which they would never have expected and which can be more complicated later in life.

Host Joanne Major hears "Anna's Story" of a break-up in her late 50s. She talks to Jonathan Dunkley, an experienced family lawyer and expert specialist financial remedy practitioner for 45 years, and Fiona Sharp, a Resolution-accredited independent financial advisor at Verve Financial Planning.