Divorce Explained with Steve Benmor & Leanne Townsend

What happens when “in sickness and in health” becomes the greatest challenge a marriage faces? Serious illness can change a couple’s relationship, turning partners into caregivers and reshaping intimacy, finances and plans for the future. It can also bring difficult questions about separation and divorce, along with feelings of guilt, responsibility and fear of judgment. This week on Divorce Expla...

Imagine being confronted with a recording of yourself saying something you never said. Now imagine having to defend yourself against it during your divorce. What happens when the “proof” isn’t real? This week on Divorce Explained, Steve Benmor and Leanne Townsend are discussing “Can You Believe the Evidence? AI, Deepfakes and Divorce.” We’ll explore what fabricated messages, altered images and fak...

A marriage can end. The royalties can keep coming. So who gets paid? This week on Divorce Explained, Steve Benmor and Leanne Townsend welcome Matt Herzfeld, founder of Seasons Music Group, for a conversation about what happens when music royalties become part of a divorce. How do you put a price on future earnings? Can a music catalogue be divided or does selling make more sense? And what do famil...

You think the house is worth $1.5 million. Your spouse says $1.2 million. So how do you settle a $300,000 disagreement? This week on Divorce Explained, we’re tackling a question that can become one of the biggest sticking points in a separation: “What’s the House Really Worth?” Join Steve Benmor and Leanne Townsend as we welcome Tejveer Walia, CRA, P. App., founder and principal appraiser of Walso...

You’ve left the relationship. But what if the trauma hasn’t left you? For people who have experienced intimate partner abuse, a traumatic marriage or a painful divorce, “moving on” can feel far more complicated than those two words suggest. Could psychedelics play a role in healing? This week on Divorce Explained, we’re joined by Dr. Alia Offman, Registered Psychologist and Co-Director of MiCBT In...

Divorce planning is not only about dividing what a family has today. It also requires thinking carefully about what tomorrow may bring. This week on Divorce Explained, we welcome Raymond Lavine, MBA, CLTC, for an important conversation about the intersection of family law, financial planning and long-term care. What happens when separation or divorce occurs later in life? How should future care ne...

Thinking About Separation? Start Here. Separation can feel overwhelming, and most people don’t know what they should be doing before they begin the process. What should you know before making major decisions? What information should you gather? Who should be on your team? And can better preparation help reduce conflict, legal fees and costly mistakes? This week on Divorce Explained, Steve Benmor a...

The “Bank of Mom and Dad” has helped countless young couples get into the housing market. But when that couple separates, a question that once seemed simple can become a major legal and financial fight: Was the money a gift or was it a loan? On Wednesday, September 2 at 6:00 p.m., we’re joined on Divorce Explained by Marc Weisman, Chair, Tax Counsel at Keslassy Freedman Gelfand LLP, for a conversa...

When do you actually need a professional valuation in a divorce and when might you be spending money unnecessarily? This week on Divorce Explained, we’re joined by Matt Springer, ASA (BV), ARM, ABV, to talk about professional valuations and the role they can play in separation and divorce. Valuations can become an important part of resolving financial issues, particularly where businesses, profess...

Artificial intelligence is transforming the practice of law but it also comes with significant professional responsibilities. Join us on this week’s episode of Divorce Explained as we discuss a recent Ontario case in which a lawyer was disciplined after AI-generated legal research included fictitious case law that was filed with the court, followed by a failure to be candid when the errors came to...

In this episode of Divorce Explained, Leanne sits down with Steve to unpack his experience attending Canada's prestigious National Family Law Program in Kelowna a conference that brings together the country's leading family lawyers, judges, academics, and experts to discuss the biggest issues shaping the future of family law. Steve shares his key takeaways from four days of thought-provo...

Is mediation the best path through divorce? And when is it simply not the right fit? In this episode of Divorce Explained, Leanne and Steve take an honest, unscripted look at one of the most effective and often misunderstood tools in family law. Drawing on their experience as family lawyers, with Steve also sharing his perspective as a mediator, they explore what mediation really is, how it works...

What would happen if Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce walked into an Ontario family lawyer's office to draft a prenup? In this episode of the Divorce Explained Podcast, Steve Benmor and Leanne Townsend use one of the world's most talked-about celebrity couples to explore how marriage contracts (commonly called prenups) work under Ontario law. They discuss asset protection, spousal support,...

In this episode, family lawyers Leanne Townsend and Steve Benmor explore one of the most difficult realities in family law: allegations of coercive control and intimate partner violence involving respected professionals, community leaders, and other high-profile individuals. Following their discussion of the landmark Ahluwalia v. Ahluwalia decision by the Supreme Court of Canada, they respond to a...

In this episode of Divorce Explained , Steve Benmor and Leanne Townsend tackle a topic that is rarely discussed but affects millions of families: the connection between perimenopause and divorce. Perimenopause is a natural stage of life that impacts nearly every woman, yet many couples enter this chapter with little understanding of the physical, emotional, and relational changes it can bring. Fro...

New Podcast Episode: Supreme Court of Canada Creates the New Tort of Intimate Partner Violence A landmark decision from the Supreme Court of Canada is set to change family law across the country. In this episode, Steve Benmor and Leanne Townsend unpack the groundbreaking decision in Ahluwalia v. Ahluwalia, where Canada's highest court officially recognized the new tort of Intimate Partner Vio...

Divorce doesn’t have to destroy your financial future. In this episode of Divorce Explained, Leanne Townsend and Steve Benmor are joined by financial advisor Brett Bernstein, CEO of XML Financial Group, to break down the most common (and costly) financial mistakes people make during divorce settlements. With over 20 years of experience, Brett explains why divorce should be treated like a business...

🏠 Divorce + the family home can be a financial minefield. In this episode of Divorce Explained, we’re joined by Kelly Lise Murray, J.D., Harvard-educated attorney, legal scholar, and founder of DivorceThisHouse.com, to unpack the real estate and mortgage pitfalls divorcing spouses need to avoid. From confusing the deed vs. the mortgage, to the danger of “the twelfth of never” (no deadlines, no en...

Why do divorcing spouses spend so much money fighting over money and is it really about the money? In this episode of Divorce Explained, we’re joined by Patrick Kilbane, attorney, Certified Divorce Financial Analyst, and Director of the Divorce Advisory Group at Ullmann Wealth Partners. Patrick draws on his experience litigating complex, high-net-worth divorces and his transition into financial ad...

Annulments are rare—but what happens when a marriage isn’t consummated and the court is asked to undo it instead of granting a divorce? In this week’s episode of Divorce Explained , Leanne and Steve speak with family lawyers Barry Nussbaum and Rebecca Ye—counsel for the applicant—to unpack Justice Presser’s January 2025 Ontario decision in S.M. v. R.F. (2025 ONSC 4155), where the court granted an...

Does a Future Inheritance Affect My Divorce? Inheritance can bring life-changing wealth — but what happens when divorce is also in the picture? In this week’s episode of Divorce Explained , Leanne Townsend and Steve Benmor sit down with wealth mentor Myra Salzer to unpack how inheritances—whether expected or received—affect divorce, spousal support, and financial planning. We’ll cover: What Ontari...

The real estate market is shifting — and it's making waves in divorce court. Decreased home values. Longer time to sell. Less equity to split. Some couples can’t even afford to separate. In this week’s episode of Divorce Explained , we break down how Ontario’s cooling housing market is reshaping financial outcomes in divorce — from who keeps the house to how separation agreements are structur...

INFIDELITY... on the jumbotron?! The internet can't stop talking about the viral Coldplay concert video - where one man's alleged affair played out live on the big screen. But what if this happened here in Ontario? Would it matter in divorce court? Could it affect custody or support? Can going viral change the outcome of your separation? On this week's episode of Divorce Explained,...

One of the most common concerns we hear from clients is when a parent seems to seek more parenting time—not to build a stronger bond with their children, but to reduce their child support payments. It’s a sensitive and often controversial issue that raises important legal and ethical questions. In this episode, two experienced family law professionals break down: How increased parenting time can i...

Join Steve Benmor and Leanne Townsend for a brand new episode of Divorce Explained - streaming live on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and Linkedin This week's topic: How to Protect Your Assets Before Getting Married Whether you're entering a marriage with significant assets, own a business, or simply want to be proactive, this conversation is a must-watch. We'll be sharing practical...