In this episode of Family Law in the UK, Family Partner Natasha Slabas is joined by Amelia Groom, an Associate in the DMH Stallard family team in London, for a discussion on ‘Divorce Day’, and the tips and tricks for navigating the divorce process.

Every year, the first Monday in January—often dubbed “Divorce Day”—marks a surge in enquiries from people contemplating separation after the holidays. While it is a busy date in the family law calendar, for many it is a moment of clarity rather than impulsivity. Natasha and Amelia discuss how early, expert advice from a family lawyer you trust can turn a daunting period into a structured, safer process. A collaborative approach should be the default, with court reserved as a last resort— save where immediate protection or urgent court intervention is necessary.

Key talking points include:

• How does the divorce process work in England and Wales?
• Why is a financial order essential?
• What if it's unsafe to remain in the same household?
• What routes exist to resolve finances and children issues outside court?
• What practical steps should you take early?
• What common misconceptions should you avoid?

In this episode of Family Law in the UK, Family law Partner, Natasha Slabas is joined by Chartered Financial Planner, Jade Swanston of Advanta Wealth to unpack the financial realities of divorce and why expert advice - taken early - can be the difference between reactive decisions and a confident, sustainable plan.

Jade explains how Advanta Wealth’s specialist divorce proposition grew out of real experience, including a colleague’s own divorce—illustrating how even finance professionals can feel overwhelmed without structured, future-focused planning.

The conversation centres on practical, plain-English guidance for people at any stage of separation. Jade outlines how cashflow modelling brings clarity to the “two households from one” challenge by creating a “base case” for life immediately post‑divorce and then stress‑testing realistic scenarios. Using financial disclosure (Form E), budgets and sensible assumptions, she shows how to assess affordability, prioritise needs, and avoid the common trap of focusing only on the family home at the expense of income, pensions and long‑term security. Natasha highlights how clients often overvalue the here‑and‑now and undervalue retirement planning; Jade describes how scenario planning helps weigh trade‑offs such as offsetting pension claims to keep the home, the long‑term cost of doing so, and whether downsizing or adjusting retirement timelines might be more prudent.

They also tackle Duxbury calculations and the appeal of a “bird in the hand” lump sum to capitalise maintenance. Jade explains how personalised cashflow modelling complements Duxbury by tailoring assumptions to an individual’s risk profile and life goals, exploring how to deploy a lump sum - whether via risk‑managed investments or income‑producing products - to meet spending needs over time.

This episode also looks at hidden items that frequently get missed when couples “agree a deal” without full advice: updating wills and pension death nominations, revisiting beneficiary designations, splitting joint protection policies, and insuring maintenance obligations against death, incapacity or job loss. The takeaway is practical and empowering: comprehensive, early financial planning provides a calmer decision‑making framework in an emotionally charged process, helps you see beyond survival mode, and supports outcomes that stand up not only on day one after decree absolute, but 10–15 years down the line.

In this episode, Natasha Slabas (Family Law Partner in London) and Samantha Jago (Family Law Partner in Guildford) sit down with James Evans, Head of Professional Education at Our Family Wizard (OFW), to explore how the platform is transforming communication in family law proceedings. Whether used before, during or after court involvement, OFW offers a structured and secure space for separated parents to manage co-parenting more effectively.

Having recommended OFW for over a decade, Samantha shares how valuable the tool has been in her own practice. She highlights the “ToneMeter” feature as particularly useful. It gives live feedback on the tone of written messages, helping parents reflect and potentially reframe aggressive or emotionally charged language. There’s also an upgraded version of this feature powered by OFW’s own closed AI system, which can suggest more appropriate wording.

The podcast also touches on potential concerns, such as a parent refusing to use the app. If OFW is court-ordered and one party fails to engage, this is logged and visible to the other party and professionals involved. In cases of faked or manipulated communications, which are sadly not uncommon, James emphasises that OFW offers greater security than alternatives. Fake WhatsApp messages are increasingly found in proceedings, whereas OFW’s system is tamper-proof, GDPR-compliant, and developed with safeguarding and integrity in mind.

Although OFW is a paid service, a fee waiver system is available for those who need financial assistance, ensuring the platform remains accessible.