Are you considering or currently going through a Separation or Divorce and feeling:
🔵Confused, stressed and overwhelmed - needing clarity to work through your issues, set boundaries, identify triggers, reduce your stress levels, communicate with your former partner and the children?
🔵Want to save money - with a signficiantly cheaper hourly rate, guidance on how to get organised, the documentation and evidence you need, the administration you need to do, and avoid significant and often unnecessary additional legal and associated expenses along the way?
🔵Want to take more control of your own outcomes, reduce conflict, and negotiate more effectively?
🔵Need assistance to understand your financial position and how to improve your chances of achieving
long term financial security?
🔵Need help to consider the terms of your parenting and financial arrangements?
🔵Need to draft a Separation Plan? Regarding the kids, living arrangements, financial terms
🔵Need to sort your parenting arrangements and co-parent more effectively?
🔵Want to regain your strength and recover emotionally, financially, physically after the divorce is finalised?
Save yourself a lot of stress, money and chaos. We want to help you avoid conflict and the legal costs as much as possible! We would love to hear from you. Book a time to discuss how I can help to support and guide you in a less stressful, more emotionally supported and affordable way. I work with individuals, but also work with couples who want to work amicably together.
Hello, I am Susan Crain and I have been working as a
Separation & Divorce Support Counsellor & Coach for over 30 years, with hundreds of clients across Australia and New Zealand.
I have used my law degree, majoring in psychology and coaching to provide my clients with the emotional support, but also the guidance and strategies they need to be clear and confident about the process, personally safe, support their children and effectively co-parent, protect their finances and get very well prepared to resolve their family law matters and thrive beyond divorce.
After decades of seeing the devastating effects of poorly handled family law matters, the flow on effect to the children, safety concerns and the financial impact of huge expenses, I set up this business as a Social Enterprise. All our profits are returned to the business to increase the availability of really effective, personalised and affordable resources and services to people going through a separation - to better guide you through each stage of this often emotional, legal and logistically complex process - offering what my kind clients have said feels like
"a huge hug from beginning to end."
Ways we can help to get you through your separation and divorce?
EMOTIONAL SUPPORT & COUNSELLING
DRAFTING SEPARATION & PARENTING PLANS
PARENTING & CO-PARENTING SUPPORT
UNDERSTAND YOUR LEGAL & FINANCIAL OPTIONS
KEY COMMUNICATION & negotiation STRATEGIES
PREPARING FOR MEDIATION OR FDR
SUPPORT TO LIAISE WITH YOUR FORMER PARTNER
DOMESTIC & FAMILY VIOLENCE SUPPORT
IDENTIFYING/ Collating KEY DOCUMENTS & EVIDENCE
1:1 COACHING & COUNSELLING
SERVICES
THE DIVORCE
PLANNER
PARENTING PLAN
PROGRAM
SAFE HORIZON
SECURITY SUPPORT & THE AUSTRALIAN SAFETY PLANNER
PODCAST
SERIES
CO-PARENTING SUPPORT
YOUR WEBINAR LIBRARY & RESOURCES
Avoiding Common Family Law Mistakes
Going through a Separation can be one of the most harrowing experiences in your life. You can experience grief, overwhelm, and confusion. Here are five common mistakes made by people, especially in the earlier stages of separation and divorce, which can cause them to come unstuck in the process:
1. Oversharing on Social Media
It might feel natural to vent online, but social media can be a legal landmine during family disputes. Posts, comments, or photos can be used against you in court and may even breach the Family Law Act, resulting in fines or more serious consequences. Sharing details about your case online could harm your credibility or influence property and parenting decisions. When in doubt, stay offline!
2. Delaying Getting Support and Advice
Too often, people wait until things escalate before getting advice to help them get emotionally supported, to be educated on the process, understand their rights, to make informed decisions, to prevent them from unintentionally inflaming negotiations. Remember, there is no automatic 50/50 split in parenting or property matters. Avoid being pressured into unfair agreements and avoid reliance on well-meaning but uninformed advice from friends or family.
3. Avoiding Full Financial Disclosure
Financial transparency is non-negotiable in family law property matters. If one party withholds financial information, it can jeopardise the fairness of the property settlement and lead to serious legal consequences, including potential imprisonment.
4. Ignoring Your Own Well-Being
The stress of legal matters is often compounded by emotional burnout. The impact can take a serious toll on your mental and physical health. Seeking support from our team of counsellors, separation coaches or support groups isn’t just good for your health—it can help your legal case, too. A clear head will help you make better decisions for your future and enable you to continue supporting your children through this difficult time.
5. Relying on Informal Agreements
Verbal or informal (non binding) agreements may seem convenient but can unravel quickly —especially if one party's financial circumstances change. To protect yourself long-term, ensure all agreements are formalised through Court Orders or Financial Agreements. This is particularly important in parenting arrangements, where informal arrangements can lead to disputes or even child access issues. Formal agreements, such as a parenting plan or Consent Orders provide clarity and protect both parents and children.
Family law doesn’t just affect the present—it shapes your future. By avoiding these common mistakes, you protect your rights, your children, and your peace of mind. Don’t hesitate to seek assistance early—it could save you time, money, and heartache down the line.
Make an online appointment today with us or purchase our number 1 best selling resources, The Ultimate Divorce Planner, to help you avoid these pitfalls. www.separationsupportnetwork.com
To receive helpful tips, podcast reviews, book reviews, offers, course discounts and other useful resources to better support you through the maze.
Questions about our
Services?
Cancellation or missed sessions policy
Given the nature of our support services, last minute cancellations are costly, and it means that other clients may miss out on receiving the required support. For cancellations within 48 hours of the scheduled appointment there is a $65 part fee payment. For less than 24 hours cancellation notice or a non-show, the full session fee will need to be charged. These fees are refunded however if the session can be filled at the last minute.
How are your counselling and coaching sessions held?
We know our clients are time poor and many are rurally and remotely located.
For your convenience, all our sessions are now available online via Zoom.
You can book your appointment online via this website.
Zoom allows us to connect with you via video and audio. It just requires you to click on a link to join. You can sign up to Zoom to create a FREE account and download the Zoom Client for Meetings. Zoom does require internet connections.
After you book you will be sent a reminder about the booking and emailed a link to connect at the booked time. You are also likely to be sent a client information form to complete prior to your initial consultation to enable our Counsellors and Coaches to be better prepared for your first meeting.
If you are unable to make any of the dates available or if you live in Brisbane or the Gold Coast and would like a face to face consultation, please email us to see if we can accommodate an alternate time/arrangement for you [email protected]
Webinars - how they are received, transcripts and worksheets
Separation Support Network provides highly affordable webinars on topics that assist our clients to stay well informed, highly organised, better supported and empowered to thrive in the next chapter of their lives. To stay up to date on webinars as they are released, sign up to our newsletter.
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DISCLAIMER: The material contained on this website is for general educational and information purposes only and is not a substitute for professional legal, financial, medical or psychological advice or care. While every care has been taken in the information provided, no legal responsibility or liability is accepted, warranted or implied by the authors or Separation Support Network and any liability is hereby expressly disclaimed. For specific advice please contact us [email protected]
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