Ep# 9 - Kate Wells - Half of Male Suicides are Directly linked to Family Law Issues

In the ninth episode of the Broken Fathers Podcast, I had the pleasure of speaking with Kate Wells, a solicitor at Fedorov Family Lawyers who specializes in high-risk domestic violence cases and complex parenting orders.

Kate’s upbringing significantly influenced her career path. With a barrister father and a lawyer stepfather, her connection to the legal world began early. Her parents’ separation when she was six and their subsequent remarriages just six months later marked a difficult time. The lack of amicability during their split inspired her to focus on protecting children as a family lawyer.

Kate also shared her personal experiences with domestic violence. She also discussed the challenges she has seen with many DVO (Domestic Violence Order) applications against her clients being dismissed.

During our conversation, Kate and I emphasized the importance of documenting everything while acknowledging the emotional toll it can take. We also addressed the lack of media coverage surrounding suicide deaths related to family court issues, driven by concerns about potential copycat incidents.
Additionally, we discussed the significant impact that the family report writer and independent children’s lawyer (ICL) can have on verdicts.

Kate cited statistics from the Australian Institute for Suicide Prevention Research, noting that suicide is the leading cause of death for men under 44 in Australia, with half of those suicides linked to family court issues such as child custody battles and pending legal battles.

MenSupportingMen
#DadsSupportingDads #Familycourt
#Childrensrights #dadsmindsmatter #dadsoftiktok #dadsontiktok #custodybattle #parents #parentalalienation #fyp #fypage

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00:00:00 Introduction
00:00:00 Disclaimer
00:00:53 Straight Up Construction Sponsorship
00:02:15 Kate's Introduction / Upbringing
00:11:38 MCH Industries & Ray White Geelong West Sponsorship
00:13:38 Kate's parents break down
00:17:44 Kates owning multiple businesses whilst studying
00:22:13 Victim of DV and how it has played a part in her life as a lawyer
00:27:32 Legal Terminology / becoming a lawyer
00:34:07 Significance of a DV Proceeding
00:44:54 Hair Follicle Tests
00:51:42 How do we change the DV system ?
01:00:40 Suicides in the legal world
01:02:31 Judges, Magistrates & Solicitors receiving counselling
01:06:12 ICL refuses to give input
01:22:06 Suicide Statistics in Men
01:29:11 Living in a disposable society
01:39:54 Veteran takes his life
01:41:39 Conclusion Questions