What does an amicable divorce look like in practice?

In this episode, Kate is joined by Susie Giles and Liz Harrington from Family Flow, and Anthony Syder from amicable, to explore what being truly amicable looks like when relationships end.

What does an amicable divorce look like in practice?

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Amicable divorce: expectation vs reality

Kate and her guests discuss how Family Flow supports women through separation with a compassionate, trauma-informed approach, and how amicable helps couples navigate divorce. Together, they dive into why an ‘amicable separation’ is often more of an aspiration than a reality, how things can shift from calm to conflict when solicitors and finances get involved, the common concerns women face when using joint divorce services and how to create a fairer balance around money. Anthony also shares what support couples can expect from amicable’s experts during negotiations, and we wrap up with practical tips for staying amicable - and redefining your relationship post-split.

A summary of what we cover:

• What an ‘amicable divorce’ means in practice
• Concerns women face when using joint divorce services
• How to level the playing field when negotiating finances
• What separating couples can expect when working with amicable

Family Flow and amicable

Susie Giles is a trauma-informed coach specialising in separation, divorce and family wellbeing. ICF-trained and grounded in evidence-based approaches, she supports individuals - particularly mothers - in navigating the emotional and practical complexities of family breakdown with clarity, confidence and compassion. Her work is informed not just by professional expertise but by lived experience. As a mother of three and a stepmother, Susie understands the realities of parenting through separation, blended family life and the long tail of high-conflict dynamics. Her own journey through a complex divorce brings a depth of empathy and realism to her practice. Alongside her coaching, Susie offers specialist guidance on post-separation communication, co-parenting and keeping children emotionally safe through transition.

Liz Harrington is a Somatic Trauma Therapist and coach with over 12 years’ experience supporting women through the complex aftermath of toxic relationships, coercive control and high-conflict divorces. Her work is deeply informed by both her professional expertise and her personal journey - including the power imbalances she has witnessed and lived through, pre- and post-divorce. Liz has helped hundreds of women not only navigate emotional trauma, but also recover from the financial devastation that so often accompanies abusive dynamics. She is currently finishing a bold, potentially controversial book that challenges the systemic issues within the divorce landscape - from how professionals handle family breakdown to the wider cultural forces at play.

Anthony Syder is a Negotiation Specialist and the team lead for amicable's financial consent order drafting team. He has worked in family dispute resolution for the last 12 years in the UK and in his home country of New Zealand. 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.

More divorce resources

You can learn more about Family Flow on their website and you can listen to the previous episode of The Divorce Podcast with Liz Harrington on your favourite platform.

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.

amicable’s YouTube channel is full of practical guidance on separation, divorce and co-parenting, explained in a clear and supportive way. From expert tips to interviews, it’s a helpful place to find answers and feel more confident about what comes next.

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