Michael Brown

Breaking up is hard to do

Society EN ↓ 5 episodes

Breaking Up Is Hard To Do is a podcast about the human drama behind family law — and the court system that is asked to manage it. Hosted by Michael Brown, a Sydney solicitor with decades of experience, the series explores love, separation, parenting disputes and property battles, alongside the bigger story of how Australia’s Family Court and family law have evolved over the last fifty years. Each episode mixes legal history, real-world insight and thoughtful conversation to examine what really happens when relationships end — and how the law tries (and sometimes struggles) to deliver justice.

Author

Michael Brown

Episodes

Islamic Law and Family Law part 1 30.06.2026 46:01

Chief Justice Elizabeth Evatt and the dream of the helping court 30.05.2026 48:00

In this episode of Breaking Up Is Hard to Do , Michael Brown speaks the Hon Elizabeth Evatt, first Chief Justice of the Family Court about the creation of the court, the introduction of no-fault divorce, and the social changes that reshaped Australian family law. Justice Evatt reflects on being the first woman to lead an Australian court, the original vision of the Family Court as a less adversari...

Lionel Murphy: Heresy to Orthodoxy — Michael Kirby Reflects 30.04.2026 48:21

In this episode, I speak with The Hon Michael Kirby about the life and legacy of Lionel Murphy—architect of no-fault divorce and a transformative figure in Australian law. Murphy’s role in creating the Family Law Act 1975 reshaped how Australia understands marriage and separation. His judicial philosophy, once seen as radical, helped redefine the place of rights, equality, and social change in the...

Lionel Murphy part 1- reformer, judge and rabble-rouser 31.03.2026 44:45

In this episode, we examine the life and career of Lionel Murphy — from barrister and Labor senator to Attorney-General in the Whitlam Government and later a Justice of the High Court. The episode covers his role in major legal reforms of the 1970s, including the introduction of no-fault divorce and the creation of the Family Court, as well as the controversies that emerged later in his career. Fe...

In the beginning - the creation of the Family Court 28.02.2026 45:41

In 1976, Australia conducted a quiet social revolution. The doors of the newly created Family Court of Australia opened for the first time, and with them came a radical idea: that marriage should end without blame. No fault. No moral inquest. No public humiliation. But did that make breaking up any easier? In this opening episode, Michael Brown takes listeners back to 6 January 1976, the beginnin...