Broken Fathers Podcast

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Episode 29
Guest - Rodney Joyce
On this episode, I am joined by Rodney Joyce, a 57-year-old father of three from Ballina. Rodney shares the deeply personal story of fighting for his children and the struggles with mediation.
After separating from his first partner when his daughter was 4 years old, Rodney found co-parenting manageable until his daughter turned eight and contact was abruptly cut off. He describes his experience with mediation and explains why he found the process ineffective for his situation.
He recalls the heartbreaking experience of waiting for his daughter on Christmas Day, only to be told she would not be coming.
After meeting his second partner, they welcomed a son a year later. However, challenges soon emerged within the relationship. Rodney discusses these difficulties, including a traumatic assault that resulted in a police-issued protection order for his safety. He also details the subsequent legal battle in the NSW Children’s Court involving fabricated allegations.
 Rodney opens up about a difficult event where he received a letter claiming he had abducted his son. This situation unfortunately resulted in Rodney’s family having to drive his son to the airport to hand him over to his ex-partner. On a lighter note, Rodney also shares his experiences with his lawyer, jokingly referencing the character "Dennis Denuto" from the 1997 Australian film, The Castle.
Furthermore, Rodney touches on his 24-year journey of paying child support, the sacrifices he made to provide for his daughter, and his subsequent fight to recover funds owed to him.
 Today, Rodney has been happily married for 17 years. He is grateful to have all three of his children in his life and credits his beloved staffy, who was by his side for 17 years, for helping him through his darkest times.
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Episode 26
Guest - Alex Johnson
In this week’s episode, I am joined by Alex Johnson, a long-term employee at Child Support. Please note that to protect my guest's identity, I have changed their name and altered their voice.
When I announced this interview and asked for your input, I received over 500 questions across all platforms. I am pleased to share that we managed to cover nearly 80% of the topics you requested.
 During our conversation, my guest agrees that the Child Support formula needs to be updated. They explain that the agency can typically only backdate three months of arrears, extending to nine months only under special circumstances.
We also discuss a wide range of topics, including:
- ART & TRIP (Tax Return Intercept Process)
Centrelink payments and domestic violence exemptions
- Maximum income thresholds ($232,843.00)
- The six formulas used in an assessment
- Section 106A
- Staff burnout and the training provided when mistakes occur
- The backlog of objections and Change of Assessments (COA)
- 28-day time frame for objections
- Why court orders can be "rinse and repeat" & how to avoid wasting time
- The impact of withholding children without justification
- Business rules and regular care
- Understaffing and resource shortages within the CSA
- The Telecommunications Act regarding recording calls
- Debt offsets and late penalty fees (and where those fees go)
- Why the CSA will not pause payments
- How payments adjust when a child turns 18
- The challenges of working within the agency
- MTAWE (Male Total Average Weekly Earnings) in child support assessments
- Garnishing / freezing accounts
- Different departments in child support
- Paying parent vs Receiving Parent
- Private arrangements
- Family court issues vs Child Support Issues
- Overdue child support / Departure Prohibition Orders (DPO)
- Reporting income (Incrementally)
- CSA staff receive intense 12 weeks initial training package
If you are struggling to navigate the child support system, this is an episode you don't want to miss. We cover a wide range of topics, and it is likely that any questions or queries you have will be answered in this discussion.
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Episode 28
Guest - Thomas Haxby
On this episode, we are joined by Thomas Haxby, father of one.
Originally from Nottingham in the UK, Thomas moved to Australia with his parents and two sisters at the age of four. Only a year later, he was diagnosed with the rare condition Perthes disease, and was told he would need to rely on his mind—not his body—throughout life.
Through discipline, resilience, and an unbreakable mindset, Thomas proved every prediction wrong. He went on to build a career as a trainer, mentor, and role model for youth and men today.
Thomas spent roughly twelve years with his former partner—his best friend, his companion, and the mother of his child. Life changed quickly. One moment they were together on the Gold Coast, planning their next family holiday; shortly after returning home, the relationship ended.
What followed was a 14‑month legal battle involving property settlement and custody of his daughter. Thomas speaks openly about the reality many men face in family law. His message is clear:  
If you conduct yourself with integrity, stay disciplined, treat every interaction as if it will be reviewed in court, and think three steps ahead, men can achieve fair outcomes. Thomas secured 50/50 custody and retained his property—through patience, preparation, and allowing the other side to make their own mistakes.
Throughout the process, meditation and a strong partnership with his lawyer became essential. Thomas entered mediation with complete confidence, backed by documentation, evidence, and emotional control. Within ten minutes, 50/50 care was granted—a result he had fought for relentlessly.
His advice to men is simple and powerful:  
- Document everything.  
- Stay cool, calm, collected, and calculated.  
- Work with a lawyer you genuinely connect with—don’t just hire the first name you find.  
- Do your research, build your case, and protect your character at all costs.
Thomas shares this story not for sympathy, but for awareness. Throughout the process, attempts were made to break him, provoke him, and drag him out of character. But he refused to slip. He was fighting for his daughter, his business, and his livelihood—and he was never going to be defeated.
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Episode 27
Guest - Robbie & Olivia Hay
In this episode we meet Robbie and Olivia Hay. Robbie was brought up by his single dad with holiday visits to his mum. After leaving school for work at aged 16, he shortly after met his now ex-partner (the mother of his children). Cracks were there from the beginning but being so young and already surrounded by other fractured relationships Robbie thought this to be normal.
Robbie tells us about his experience as a victim of domestic violence, love bombing, bread crumbing and going through withholding abuse.
After the birth of his 2 children, in 2014 and 2021, he officially split from the mother of his children and shortly after met Olivia, now his wife. Since their meeting his ex-partner did everything in her power to cause turmoil in their relationship and also withheld the children. 
Despite engaging with the Family Court system in hopes of establishing a healthy co-parenting arrangement, Robbie describes a highly complex and frustrating legal process. Following a four-day trial—during which he was permitted to respond to claims but unable to present his own evidence—a No Contact order was issued. Consequently, Robbie is restricted from contacting his children until they reach the age of 18.
This heartbreaking story is one of many with a similar formula: another father who trusted a system that, instead of protecting families, has left children fatherless.
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Episode 25
Guest - Brentin Mumford
On this week’s episode, I am joined by Brentin Mumford, a 38-year-old father of three. Originally from Lismore, New South Wales, but now resides on the Gold Coast.
 
He is a retired mixed martial artist who currently focuses his time and energy on coaching and building Fighting Fathers out of CMBT Fight gym in Burleigh. After attempting mediation in 2023, the challenges he faced throughout that process inspired him to establish the organization fighting fathers. His goal is to provide essential support to other men as they navigate the complexities of the system.
 
Brentin being the Eldest of 5, grew up in a small country town known as Lismore. He got into ice hockey at a young age. In 2003 when he turned 16 he left go to to Edmonton, Alberta Canada for hockey. He returned to Australia 2 years later and rekindled with his ex from high school and fell pregnant and before he knew it, he was a kid raising a kid. They lived at Brentin’s in-laws until they got stable which saw Brentin have his daughter at the age of 27.
 
In 2008, Brentin was involved in a fatal car accident involving an elderly man. This event profoundly impacted his mental health, leading him to seek professional help. However, he found the experience unproductive, describing the attempt to heal as trying to fix a broken mirror that will always remain cracked.
 
Brentin’s personal life has also seen significant upheaval. Eight years after the birth of his son, he and his partner had a daughter. Despite hopes that a second child might reignite the relationship, they separated when she was six months old but maintained a healthy co-parenting relationship to which they still have today, 11yrs later.
 
He later entered a new relationship and had another child. When this relationship ended, his ex-partner began creating obstacles for him to see his son, making it difficult for them to bond. This situation left him with no choice but to initiate mediation. While early private discussions seemed promising, the dynamic shifted significantly during the joint Zoom mediation session, where the mediator’s demeanor was entirely different from their previous one on one interactions.

During mediation, Brentin's PTSD and his use of medical marijuana to manage sleep-related night terrors following his car accident was brought up and used against him. The mediation agreement established six-week visitation blocks, with hours increasing in each subsequent block. There had been a request for Brentin to undergo a hair follicle test regularly. He knew that this test will return a positive result, as he continues to use prescribed medical cannabis to assist with his sleep.

In 2022, Brentin was living on the Gold Coast when a major flood destroyed his parents' home in Lismore. Unknown to him, a Domestic Violence Order (DVO) had been served to that flooded address. Because the police did not attempt to contact him via phone or social media, Brentin was unaware of the order until friends began sending him news links regarding a warrant for his arrest.
 
Confused and shocked, Brentin handed himself in. He was subsequently charged with intimidation. This experience highlighted the significant struggles and legal communication breakdowns within the system; Brentin recounts one specific day in court where everything that could go wrong did.
 
Brentin’s eldest son resided with him full time and he was advised to plead guilty and focus his energy on the two children currently in his care due to the unpredictability of the court system. Given Brentin's background as a professional MMA fighter, the barrister noted that the judge may view the circumstances more critica
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