Off the Fence with Karen Covy: Mastering Decision Making, Divorce & More

What if getting divorced didn't mean losing years of your life to an expensive courtroom battle that ruined your finances AND your co-parenting relationship with your ex? That’s the question attorney Amanda Mason set out to answer with her new divorce alternative, Solagree.Amanda is a family law attorney, mediator, and founder of Solagree, a mediated arbitration process that offers couples a structured way to resolve even difficult divorce issues privately, efficiently, and with more control. Instead of starting with litigation, in the Solagree process couples move through education, negotiation, and, when necessary, private decision-making to resolve their divorce issues.The process combines divorce coaches, financial professionals, parenting specialists, attorney-mediators, and arbitrators who work with a couple to guide them through their divorce more efficiently and cost-effectively. What’s most impressive is that this process doesn’t depend on everyone being perfectly cooperative. It contains built-in ground rules that are designed to deal with spouses who delay, refuse to provide financial information, or otherwise try to derail the process.For business owners, high-net-worth couples, and anyone worried about privacy, mediated arbitration can also keep sensitive financial and business information out of a public courtroom while still providing access to tools such as business valuations and forensic accounting. Divorce doesn’t need to be conducted in an open-ended court battle. Solagree provides a way for couples to get binding decisions, protect themselves, and move forward without putting themselves or their families through exhausting litigation.If you or someone you know is trying to find a better, more efficient, and less expensive way to divorce, this episode is one you won’t want to miss.About AmandaAmanda Mason is the CEO and founder of SOLAGREE®, a groundbreaking nationwide platform that replaces public courtroom battles with a structured, virtual, and flat-fee mediated-arbitration process. A partner at Mason, Mason, & Smith in Wilmington, North Carolina, Amanda brings over two decades of legal experience, with extensive expertise as a dedicated family law attorney and DRC Certified Mediator. Connect with AmandaYou can connect with Amanda on Facebook at Solagree and follow her on Instagram at amandamasonatty. To learn more about how to work with Amanda, visit her website at SOLAGREE®.Karen Covy is a Divorce Coach and Consultant, Lawyer, Author, and Speaker who is dedicated to helping people make the best decisions possible for themselves, their families, and their future - especially in stressful times. You can check out Karen's videos on YouTube.You can connect with Karen on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and on her own website at karencovy.com.

When your child’s future depends on a custody evaluator’s recommendation, the way you present your story can matter almost as much as the story itself. In Part 2 of this conversation with custody evaluation expert Reneé Rodriguez, we talk about how parents can build a focused, credible body of evidence that helps evaluators understand what is really happening with their kids, without overwhelming the evaluator with hundreds of texts, accusations, or emotionally charged details.In this episode, Reneé breaks down what actually makes evidence persuasive, from choosing neutral third parties who can speak to your child’s well-being to responding strategically when your co-parent makes allegations against you. She also explores why the custody evaluator (NOT the judge!) may be the most important decision-maker in your case.Renee also discusses how to document troubling patterns that affect your kids without sounding petty, vindictive, or obsessed with every disagreement your co-parent creates. Finally, she explains what you can do when you believe an evaluator or Guardian ad Litem is biased against you and why protecting your credibility throughout the divorce process is critical.If you or someone you know is embroiled in a high conflict divorce where kids are involved, this special two-part series with Renee Rodriguez is one you’re not going to want to miss. About ReneéReneé Rodriguez is the founder of Best Foot Forward Consulting and creator of The Custody Blueprint®. She has spent over a decade helping protective mothers challenge the family court system's default "50/50" custody shortcut by focusing on documented, undeniable facts rather than emotion. Her work sits at the intersection of strategy and advocacy, equipping mothers with the tools to build specific, evaluation-ready, and court-ready case files using her three-pillar methodology: Strategy, Mindset, and Evidence. By giving women the framework to present precise evidence, Reneé empowers them to navigate custody evaluations with confidence and ensure their child's real safety is prioritized.Connect with ReneéYou can connect with Reneé on LinkedIn at Best Foot Forward Consulting and on Facebook at The Custody Blueprint. You can follow Reneé on YouTube at @TheCustodyBlueprint and on Instagram at thecustodyblueprint. To learn more about how to work with Reneé and get guidance on your custody situation, visit this personalized link here. You can also learn more about her 12-Week Custody Warriors Engagement program here or reach out directly at [email protected] Covy is a Divorce Coach and Consultant, Lawyer, Author, and Speaker who is dedicated to helping people make the best decisions possible for themselves, their families, and their future - especially in stressful times. You can check out Karen's videos on YouTube.You can connect with Karen on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and on her own website at karencovy.com.

You can walk into a custody evaluation with the truth on your side and still walk out with a result you never saw coming. That’s the reality that Reneé Rodriguez, founder of Best Foot Forward Consulting and creator of the Custody Blueprint™, helps her clients avoid. Drawing on her own experience going through a custody evaluation, as well as her years as a corporate strategist, Reneé explains why family courts default to equal parenting time and why breaking that default requires a specific kind of documentation, not just a compelling story.In this podcast episode, Reneé walks us through what actually happens during a custody evaluation, from the first intake questionnaire all the way through interviews, psychological testing, and the home visits. She also shares why neutral language, careful documentation, and focusing on what you can prove can be far more powerful than trying to tell an evaluator everything your spouse has ever done.What makes this conversation particularly compelling are the practical details Reneé shares about how to turn years of a relationship into a tight, structured narrative and how to understand what matters to an evaluator in your area.This is the first of a two part series on custody evaluations. If you or someone you know is fighting for more custody or parenting time in their divorce, this two part podcast series should be at the top of your “must listen to” list.(P.S. Don’t forget to subscribe so that you don’t miss part 2 of this important conversation.)About ReneéReneé Rodriguez is the founder of Best Foot Forward Consulting and creator of The Custody Blueprint®. She has spent over a decade helping protective mothers challenge the family court system's default "50/50" custody shortcut by focusing on documented, undeniable facts rather than emotion. Her work sits at the intersection of strategy and advocacy, equipping mothers with the tools to build specific, evaluation-ready, and court-ready case files using her three-pillar methodology: Strategy, Mindset, and Evidence. By giving women the framework to present precise evidence, Reneé empowers them to navigate custody evaluations with confidence and ensure their child's real safety is prioritized.Connect with ReneéYou can connect with Reneé on LinkedIn at Best Foot Forward Consulting and on Facebook at The Custody Blueprint. You can follow Reneé on YouTube at @TheCustodyBlueprint and on Instagram at thecustodyblueprint. To learn more about how to work with Reneé and get guidance on your custody situation, visit this personalized link here. You can also learn more about her 12-Week Custody Warriors Engagement program here or reach out directly at [email protected] Covy is a Divorce Coach and Consultant, Lawyer, Author, and Speaker who is dedicated to helping people make the best decisions possible for themselves, their families, and their future - especially in stressful times. You can check out Karen's videos on YouTube.You can connect with Karen on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and on her own website at karencovy.com.

What if the fastest way to figure out your next chapter wasn't to spend years in therapy, but to spend a week cooking, healing and having fun in a beautiful European venue alongside strangers who quickly become friends? That's the idea behind the women’s retreats led by Hannah McKitrick, founder of Dolce Vita Experiences. Her retreats are built around food, coaching, and connection for women navigating big life changes. Unlike a traditional vacation, a retreat combines time away with coaching, reflection, new experiences, and the support of other women. Hannah explores why that combination can quiet self-criticism, create surprising connections, and help you recognize patterns and possibilities that can be difficult to see when you’re handling everyday responsibilities on your own.You’ll also discover why simple experiences - from cooking and sharing meals to spending time at the spa, hiking, or simply having someone else handle the details - can play a bigger role in personal growth than you might expect. Whether you’re questioning what comes next, in the middle of a difficult life transition, or you’re just ready to build a new chapter, this podcast episode offers a different way to think about what it takes to get out of your head, reconnect with yourself, and move forward with greater clarity.About HannahHannah McKitrick is the founder of Dolce Vita Experiences—a travel, wellness, and personal growth company that helps purpose-led women live, lead, and nourish from deep alignment. Through immersive experiences and retreats that combine foodie travel, coaching, and connection, Hannah supports high-achieving leaders and women in transition to recalibrate their nervous systems, reclaim joy, and build a life that feels as good as it looks. Her work blends the energetics of ease and intuition coaching to help women gain clarity and have more fun after a major life transition.Connect with HannahYou can connect with Hannah on LinkedIn at Hannah McKitrick and on Facebook at Hannah McKitrick. You can follow Hannah on Instagram at hannah.mckitrick. To learn more about how to work with Hannah, visit her website at Dolce Vita Experiences. And you can learn more about her upcoming Dolce Vita Reset Retreat in Samos, Greece here.Karen Covy is a Divorce Coach and Consultant, Lawyer, Author, and Speaker who is dedicated to helping people make the best decisions possible for themselves, their families, and their future - especially in stressful times. You can check out Karen's videos on YouTube.You can connect with Karen on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and on her own website at karencovy.com.

Starting over after 50 comes with its own kind of pain … but that’s just one of the things that makes gray divorce different. The legal, financial, and emotional implications that getting a divorce later in life bring can make the difference between enjoying your “golden years,” and trying to play “catch up” at a time in life when you thought you’d be able to relax.In this special solo podcast episode, you’ll discover everything from how to decide if a gray divorce is for you to the legal processes that will help you through it less expensively (or not!).You’ll also learn about the financial realities and relationship concerns with your adult kids that nobody warns you about, and the critical health care considerations you need to understand before finalizing your divorce.But this episode isn't just about logistics. It's about who you become on the other side, how your friendships shift, whether the stigma is as real as it feels, and why some people wait decades to leave when they didn't have to.If you're standing at the edge of a gray divorce, or wondering how anyone survives the practical side of it, this podcast episode is for you.Karen Covy is a Divorce Coach and Consultant, Lawyer, Author, and Speaker who is dedicated to helping people make the best decisions possible for themselves, their families, and their future - especially in stressful times. You can check out Karen's videos on YouTube.You can connect with Karen on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and on her own website at karencovy.com.

Can a marriage survive infidelity, or does trust, once broken, stay broken for good?In this podcast episode, Brannon and Tyler Patrick, brothers and licensed therapists with decades of combined experience helping couples heal from betrayal and addiction, dive deeply into the world of affairs, betrayal, and broken trust. Known as “The Therapy Brothers,” Brannon and Tyler challenge the way most people think about betrayal, explaining that secrecy, deception, and unspoken expectations are generally at play in a relationship long before any physical line is crossed. The brothers trace how old coping patterns, unaddressed loneliness, and simple neglect can all lead a relationship toward dangerous territory, sometimes without either partner realizing it's happening. They also point out a specific shift in how couples communicate that can either pull them closer together or push them further apart.Most importantly, Brannon and Tyler explain what it really takes to rebuild trust after an affair, and why healing isn't defined only by whether a couple succeeds in saving their marriage or not. Whether a relationship survives infidelity or ends after it, the brothers offer practical insights into recovering from betrayal, recognizing genuine change, and creating healthier relationships built on honesty, courage, and integrity.If you've ever wondered what separates the couples who make it through from those who don't, this conversation gets right to the heart of it.About Brannon & TylerBrannon Patrick, LCSW, and Tyler Patrick, LMFT, are brothers and licensed therapists who specialize in helping individuals and couples recover from infidelity, addiction, and broken trust. With more than 20 years of experience each in addiction and trauma treatment, they combine clinical expertise with practical, straightforward guidance. Together, they host The Therapy Brothers, a weekly call-in show with over 500 episodes, where they help people work through betrayal, shame, trauma, and addiction in real time. Their approach focuses on healing the underlying trauma and shame that fuel relationship struggles, helping couples rebuild trust through honesty, accountability, empathy, and resilience.Connect with Brannon & TylerYou can connect with Brannon & Tyler on Facebook at The Therapy Brothers. You can follow Brannon & Tyler on YouTube at @therapy.brothers, on Instagram at therapy.brothers, and on their podcast at The Therapy Brothers. To learn more about their upcoming events, visit their website for men's retreats at Rising Son and women's retreats at Radiant Dawn.Karen Covy is a Divorce Coach and Consultant, Lawyer, Author, and Speaker who is dedicated to helping people make the best decisions possible for themselves, their families, and their future - especially in stressful times. You can check out Karen's videos on YouTube.You can connect with Karen on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and on her own website at karencovy.com.

Your wardrobe holds your entire past life … which is exactly why getting dressed can feel so stressful after a big life change. When your body shifts, your lifestyle changes, or your identity evolves (especially after divorce!) your personal style needs to evolve with you. Otherwise, the closet that used to “work” can start working against you.Personal stylist and wardrobe detox expert, Suzanne Bernie, works with clients going through major life shifts (think divorce, career changes, or major illness) who open their closets and realize that nothing in there matches who they are now. Suzanne explains why so many of us get stuck wearing the same three outfits on repeat, even when we’re surrounded by clothes we once loved.Suzanne reveals why so many closets are full of clothes that never get worn, why black isn't always the safest choice, and how small shifts in color, fit, and styling can completely transform the way you look and feel. Suzanne breaks down what actually makes an outfit look expensive and put-together versus dated, and why the priciest labels aren't usually the answer.If you've ever stood in front of a full closet feeling like you had nothing to wear, or if you want your clothes to match the person you are now, hit play, share this with a friend who’s in transition, and subscribe so you don’t miss what’s next. If you enjoyed it, leave a review and tell me: what’s the one item in your closet you’re ready to retire?About SuzanneSuzanne is a Personal Stylist who works with clients from all business sectors, both internationally and within the UK. She curates perfect outfits tailored to her clients' bodies and styles, offering both personalized shopping experiences and in-home wardrobe detoxes. Passionate about using style to transform lives, Suzanne hosts specialized style workshops for divorcees, as well as workshops for women navigating cancer treatment to help rebuild confidence, boost self-esteem, and inject some well-deserved fun into their journeys. She proudly styles men, women, and members of the LGBTQ+ community of all ages, finding her biggest joy in making people feel absolutely fabulous by dressing them in the perfect colors, shapes, designs, and fabrics.Connect with SuzanneYou can connect with Suzanne on Facebook at Suze Bernie Stylist and follow her on Instagram at @suzeberniestylist. You can also visit her website at suzannebernie.com. Karen Covy is a Divorce Coach and Consultant, Lawyer, Author, and Speaker who is dedicated to helping people make the best decisions possible for themselves, their families, and their future - especially in stressful times. You can check out Karen's videos on YouTube.You can connect with Karen on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and on her own website at karencovy.com.

Feeling buried in debt can make you believe you have no way out … and that’s exactly when you make the biggest financial mistakes. In this podcast episode, attorney William (Bill) Mitchell draws on decades of experience helping both consumers and debt relief companies to explain why so many people end up overwhelmed by debt, and why the right solution depends on your specific financial situation. Instead of treating debt relief as a one-size-fits-all problem, Bill breaks down the four primary options available for getting out of debt, from debt consolidation loans and credit counseling to debt settlement and bankruptcy. He also explains which option is best for which situation. Bill reveals how rising credit card interest rates, aggressive marketing, and common misconceptions can quietly trap people in a cycle that becomes harder to escape the longer they wait. The discussion goes beyond debt relief to explore real-world financial decisions that can have lasting consequences, especially during major life transitions like divorce. From handling joint credit card debt and protecting your credit to avoiding predatory debt relief companies and choosing the smartest way to borrow money in a crisis, you'll come away with practical insights that could save you thousands of dollars—and help you make better financial decisions when the stakes are highest. About BillWilliam R. (“Bill”) Mitchell is a seasoned attorney with more than two decades of experience helping individuals and businesses find financial freedom and stability. A nationally recognized expert in debt relief and settlement, Bill has guided thousands of consumers toward reducing or eliminating their debt burdens. As one of the few lawyers who has represented both major debt resolution companies and the consumers they serve, he brings a unique 360-degree understanding of the industry to his advocacy. Beyond debt relief, Bill is a trusted business attorney who advises small and mid-sized privately held companies on everything from business formation and financial transactions to contract negotiation and dispute resolution. Connect with BillYou can follow Bill on YouTube at @LegalEdgeDebtSolutions and on Instagram at legaledgedebtsolutions. You can also purchase his book, Say Goodbye to Credit Card Debt: How to Outsmart the Banks and Avoid Their Traps on Amazon.Karen Covy is a Divorce Coach and Consultant, Lawyer, Author, and Speaker who is dedicated to helping people make the best decisions possible for themselves, their families, and their future - especially in stressful times. You can check out Karen's videos on YouTube.You can connect with Karen on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and on her own website at karencovy.com.

Most people going through divorce focus on finding a good attorney … but that might be the single biggest financial mistake you make. Jamie Lima, certified divorce financial analyst, certified financial planner, and co-founder of SecureSplit, knows that from personal experience. Watching his parents' divorce strain the family financially, then going through his own costly split in 2017, shaped everything about how he now helps people navigate the financial side of divorce so they can get a better divorce settlement.In this podcast episode, Jamie breaks down why relying solely on your attorney can cause you to leave serious money on the table, what a divorce financial team actually looks like, and how AI and specialized software are beginning to reshape divorce-related financial analysis. Jamie also talks about SecureSplit,  a platform he designed to eliminate the expensive duplication of effort that happens when attorneys, CDFAs, and clients are all working in disconnected systems. He also pulls back the curtain on how AI is quietly reshaping divorce proceedings in ways most people aren't prepared for.From how to prompt AI tools so they actually give you useful information, to the privacy risks most people never consider, to why your ChatGPT history could end up as evidence in your own case, Jamie offers a surprisingly practical (and at times very sobering!) look at what it means to be a smart, informed advocate for yourself in a modern divorce. The tools are powerful. The mistakes are costly. And knowing exactly what you're doing is critical.About JamieJamie Lima launched Allegiant Divorce Solutions as a sister company to his traditional financial planning firm after navigating his parents' divorce at a young age and experiencing his own emotionally and financially draining divorce in 2017. With nearly 20 years of financial planning experience, Jamie intimately understands the immense financial challenges individuals face during a split. Realizing that the costly mistakes made in his own divorce could have been avoided with the right support, he became a Certified Divorce Financial Analyst®. Today, Jamie is dedicated to helping clients navigate the complex financial aspects of divorce to secure fair settlements with significantly less stress.Connect with JamieYou can connect with Jamie on LinkedIn at Jamie Lima and follow him on Instagram at Allegiant Divorce. To learn more about how to work with Jamie, visit his websites at Allegiant Divorce Solutions and SecureSplit.Karen Covy is a Divorce Coach and Consultant, Lawyer, Author, and Speaker who is dedicated to helping people make the best decisions possible for themselves, their families, and their future - especially in stressful times. You can check out Karen's videos on YouTube.You can connect with Karen on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and on her own website at karencovy.com.

If you've ever set a boundary that someone ignored, and then felt stuck between becoming a doormat or issuing an ultimatum, this podcast episode is for you. Licensed psychotherapist Dr. Sharon Martin joins the show to talk about healthy boundaries: what they really are, why so many people struggle with them, and why the way most of us think about boundaries is making holding our boundaries harder, not easier. Dr. Martin unpacks why boundary problems show up differently for different people, and why the same person can swing between being a pushover and being rigid depending on the situation. She also explores the hidden ways boundary problems develop, including enmeshment, codependency, guilt, perfectionism, and past relational wounds. Dr. Martin also reveals how healthy boundaries are less about controlling other people and more about understanding your own needs and focusing on what you can control. Through practical examples, including parenting, workplace conflicts, and high-conflict divorce situations, Dr. Martin demonstrates how small shifts in perspective can lead to greater freedom, less frustration, and healthier relationships. The result is a fresh and empowering framework that may change the way you think about boundaries altogether. About Dr. SharonDr. Sharon Martin, LCSW, is a licensed psychotherapist who specializes in helping adults recover from the effects of a difficult childhood, overcome feelings of unworthiness, and learn to set boundaries. She writes extensively about codependency, perfectionism, and healthy relationships, including her popular blog, “Conquering Codependency,” for Psychology Today. Dr. Martin is also the author of four self-help books, including The CBT Workbook for Perfectionism.Connect with Dr. SharonYou can connect with Dr. Sharon on LinkedIn at Sharon Martin, LCSW and on Facebook at Sharon Martin, LCSW. You can also follow her on YouTube at @SharonMartin and on Instagram at dr_sharon_martin. To learn more about working with Dr. Sharon, visit her website at Live Well with Sharon Martin. And you can find her book, The Better Boundaries Workbook, here. It is also available at most bookstores.Karen Covy is a Divorce Coach and Consultant, Lawyer, Author, and Speaker who is dedicated to helping people make the best decisions possible for themselves, their families, and their future - especially in stressful times. You can check out Karen's videos on YouTube.You can connect with Karen on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and on her own website at karencovy.com.

If your child has started pulling away from you, or saying things that sound nothing like them, you may already know something is deeply wrong, even if you can't prove it yet. In this podcast episode, high-conflict divorce strategist and domestic violence advocate Lisa Johnson, explores the complicated reality of parental alienation and explains why it’s often far more subtle (and more difficult to recognize) than most people realize. She shares how seemingly small actions and unspoken messages can slowly damage a child’s relationship with a parent over time. Rather than focusing on labels or accusations, Lisa dives into what actually matters to judges and custody evaluators: patterns of behavior, their impact on children, and the practical challenges families face when conflict spills into co-parenting. You'll discover why proving parental alienation can be so difficult, how children can become caught in the middle without fully understanding what's happening, and why some of the most damaging behaviors are often the hardest to see. The conversation also offers thoughtful strategies for parents who want to protect and strengthen their bond with their children during and after divorce. From improving communication to encouraging critical thinking and resilience, Lisa shares practical ideas that can help parents respond more effectively when relationships become strained. If you've ever wondered how children are affected by ongoing parental conflict, or what parents can do to help, this discussion provides insights that may challenge what you think you know. About LisaLisa Johnson is the co-founder of Been There Got Out, a high-conflict divorce strategist, and a certified domestic violence advocate specializing in legal abuse. She dedicates her expertise to helping individuals navigate situations where an ex uses the legal system to wear them down and deplete their resources. Alongside her partner, Chris, Lisa coaches people through high-conflict relationships, divorce, custody battles, and difficult co-parenting situations. Her ultimate goal is to help clients secure the best possible outcomes in family court while lowering conflict to protect the well-being of their children.Connect with LisaYou can connect with Lisa on LinkedIn at Been There Got Out and on Facebook at Been There Got Out. You can follow her on YouTube at @BeenThereGotOut, on X at @BeenThereGotOut, and on Instagram at been_there_got_out. To learn more about how to work with Lisa, visit her website at Been There Got Out. And you can find her latest book, When Your Ex Turns the Kids Against You, here.Karen Covy is a Divorce Coach and Consultant, Lawyer, Author, and Speaker who is dedicated to helping people make the best decisions possible for themselves, their families, and their future - especially in stressful times. You can check out Karen's videos on YouTube.You can connect with Karen on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and on her own website at karencovy.com.

If you've ever thought about using AI in your divorce to save money on legal fees, this podcast episode might drastically change the way you do it. Family law attorney Hillary Moonay, who co-chairs the Family Law Group at Obermeyer Rebman Maxwell & Hippol LLP and has spent 30 years in the trenches of Pennsylvania family law, shares the hidden risks AI poses in divorce cases, especially to clients who accidentally don’t use it well.From privacy concerns to unintended legal consequences, Hillary explains where AI can create risks that most people never see coming. For example, uploading a custody evaluation to ChatGPT could expose your children to fraud. Using an AI bot to analyze what your attorney told you can dissolve your attorney-client privilege. Having AI draft your legal documents can produce legal garbage and end up costing you MORE than if you hadn’t used it at all.Hillary breaks down the difference between using AI as a helpful organizational tool versus relying on it to make legal decisions, while highlighting the hidden details and nuances that generic AI-generated documents often miss. If you're navigating divorce and trying to be smart about costs, this conversation offers a much clearer picture of where AI helps, where it hurts, and what questions to ask.About HillaryHillary Moonay co-chairs Obermayer’s Family Law Group and manages the firm's Bucks County office. Her practice focuses exclusively on family law, all phases of the negotiation and litigation of domestic relations cases, including divorce, child custody, child support, alimony/spousal support, equitable distribution, prenuptial and postnuptial agreements, mediation, arbitration, and related issues. Moonay is the Past Chair of the PBA’s Family Law Section and serves on the Board of Managers for the AAML’s Pennsylvania Chapter. She also serves on the Domestic Relations Law Advisory Committee of the Joint State Government Commission, the bipartisan research agency of the Pennsylvania General Assembly.Connect with HillaryYou can connect with Hillary through her LinkedIn page or through Obermayer's website at www.obermayer.com.Karen Covy is a Divorce Coach and Consultant, Lawyer, Author, and Speaker who is dedicated to helping people make the best decisions possible for themselves, their families, and their future - especially in stressful times. You can check out Karen's videos on YouTube.You can connect with Karen on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and on her own website at karencovy.com.

If you've ever felt your heart race the moment a message pinged from your co-parent, you already understand the problem that Sol Kennedy set out to solve. Sol is the founder of the Best Interest Co-parenting App, an AI-powered app born directly from his own high-conflict divorce experience.When you’re locked in a high-conflict coparenting relationship you know all too well how quickly a simple logistics message can turn into a 30-text argument that ruins your day and spills into your parenting. Traditional co-parenting apps didn’t address the specific needs found in high-conflict co-parenting so Sol created an app that does. The Best Interest Co-Parenting App gives you AI coaching before you send a message, tone checks that help you say what you mean without escalating a conversation, and instant awareness of any potential parenting plan violations your conversation might trigger. It reviews outgoing messages for conflict triggers before you hit send, and filters incoming ones, stripping away charged language so you only see what's actually relevant to your kids. And the best part of the app is that you don't even need your co-parent to download the app for it to work.If you’re locked in a high-conflict co-parenting situation and every message your ex sends ties your stomach in knots, this conversation, and the Best Interest Co-Parenting App can literally change your life.About SolSol Kennedy is the founder of BestInterest, an AI-powered co-parenting app designed to reduce conflict and protect children from the emotional fallout of high-conflict separation. Sol's mission is simple: help parents move beyond reactive communication, protect their peace, and create calmer outcomes for their kids—even when the relationship between adults is strained. Connect with SolYou can connect with Sol on LinkedIn at Best Interest App and on Facebook at Best Interest App.  You can follow Sol on Youtube at @BestInterestApp and on Instagram at Best Interest App. To learn more visit the website at Best Interest App.Special offerBestInterest is an app that helps co-parents to communicate and experience peace in their co-parenting relationship. It is available for download in the App Store or Play Store, or at https://bestinterest.app/app. Get $10 off by entering code OFFTHEFENCEKaren Covy is a Divorce Coach and Consultant, Lawyer, Author, and Speaker who is dedicated to helping people make the best decisions possible for themselves, their families, and their future - especially in stressful times. You can check out Karen's videos on YouTube.You can connect with Karen on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and on her own website at karencovy.com.

Money has a way of exposing the secrets people work hardest to hide. In this conversation, certified divorce financial analyst Tammy Guns explains how financial manipulation, hidden assets, and business income games often show up long before a divorce is finalized. Drawing from her own divorce experience and years of courtroom testimony as an expert witness, Tammy shares how she helps uncover the financial stories buried inside bank records, business accounts, and spending patterns. If your spouse is hiding money in your divorce, Tammy can help you find it.The discussion digs into the realities of divorce cases involving business owners, hidden income, and financial abuse. Tammy explains how personal expenses are often buried inside businesses, why a lifestyle analysis can reveal income that tax returns don’t show, and how judges rely on experts to translate complicated financial records into clear, understandable stories. She also breaks down how financial “strangulation” happens in divorce and why so many people enter the process without truly understanding their own finances. What makes this conversation especially compelling is how practical and eye-opening it becomes. Tammy shares real-world examples involving hidden crypto, missing cash, suspicious spending, overseas assets, and even luxury lifestyles that don’t match reported income. But underneath all the courtroom drama is a bigger message: the more financially informed you are before and during divorce, the more power and peace of mind you’re likely to have when difficult decisions need to be made. If the financial picture in your divorce isn’t adding up, this is a podcast episode you’re not going to want to miss.About TammyTammy Guns is a Certified Divorce Financial Analyst (CDFA®) who specializes in helping individuals navigate the financial complexities of divorce with clarity and confidence. She works closely with clients and legal professionals to analyze assets, income, and long-term financial outcomes, ensuring informed and equitable decisions. Tammy is committed to empowering her clients with the knowledge and strategies they need to secure a stable financial future beyond divorce. Connect with TammyYou can connect with Tammy on LinkedIn at Tammy Lynn Guns and on Facebook at Tammy Guns. You can follow Tammy on YouTube at @tammylynnguns9600 and on X at @GunsTammy. To learn more about how to work with Tammy, visit her website at Divorce Resource Center of Colorado.Karen Covy is a Divorce Coach and Consultant, Lawyer, Author, and Speaker who is dedicated to helping people make the best decisions possible for themselves, their families, and their future - especially in stressful times. You can check out Karen's videos on YouTube.You can connect with Karen on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and on her own website at karencovy.com.

If you've ever felt like you were losing your mind in your relationship - questioning your own memory, shrinking your social circle, or blaming yourself for your partner's moods - there's a name for that. It’s called coercive control.In this podcast episode, Jolee Vacchi, family law attorney and founder of Foundations Family Law and Mediation Center in Worcester, Massachusetts, explains how coercive control (including manipulation, gaslighting, and emotional intimidation) slowly chips away at a person’s confidence, relationships, and sense of autonomy without ever leaving visible bruises. She breaks down the subtle behaviors that often get dismissed as “normal relationship problems” and explains why so many people stay stuck far longer than they ever imagined. Jolee also tackles one of the most counterintuitive questions in high-conflict divorce: is going to court actually the right move when your spouse thrives on control? (Her answer might surprise you.)Jolee also discloses specific strategies that can shift the power dynamic when you're up against someone who knows exactly how to weaponize the legal system.From parenting coordinators to protective orders to keeping yourself sane while living under the same roof during divorce proceedings, this conversation is packed with practical, eye-opening guidance. Whether you're in the thick of your divorce or just starting to ask hard questions, this episode will help you understand what you're dealing with, and what your options actually are.About JoleeJolee Vacchi is known as "The Compassionate Divorce Attorney." She is the Founding Attorney of Foundations Family Law & Mediation Center located in Worcester, Massachusetts. As a mediator, Collaboratively-trained attorney, and Coercive Control Trauma-Informed Attorney, Jolee focuses her practice on out-of-court solutions for her clients to resolve their family law conflicts as painlessly and peacefully as possible.Connect with JoleeYou can connect with Jolee on LinkedIn at Jolee E. Vacchi, Esq and on Facebook at Foundations Family Law. You can follow Jolee on YouTube at @FoundationsFamilyLaw, on Instagram at Foundations Family Law and on her podcast at Divorce Detox.  To learn more about working with Jolee, visit her website at Foundations Family Law.    Karen Covy is a Divorce Coach and Consultant, Lawyer, Author, and Speaker who is dedicated to helping people make the best decisions possible for themselves, their families, and their future - especially in stressful times. You can check out Karen's videos on YouTube.You can connect with Karen on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and on her own website at karencovy.com.

What happens when a divorce doesn't just end a marriage but threatens to end a parent's right to stay in the same country as their child? In this podcast episode, Seattle-based family law attorney Lucia Levias explains what happens when divorce and immigration collide. Immigration status, visas, and international custody issues can turn an already painful divorce into something far more complicated. Lucia shares real-life stories of families caught between countries, courts, and conflicting laws, while also showing how thoughtful planning can prevent devastating outcomes. With a personal connection to binational families and years of experience in Collaborative Divorce, Lucia has seen firsthand how a dependent visa can become a weapon or a lifeline, depending on how a divorce is handled.Lucia explains how a structured, team-based legal process like Collaborative Divorce can bring immigration attorneys, financial neutrals, and family coaches to the same table, creating solutions that a courtroom simply can't offer. Lucia also dives into another fear that keeps many American-born parents up at night: What if my co-parent takes our kids abroad and doesn't come back? Discover how the Hague Convention, court orders, passport policies, and travel bonds can help parents guard against worst-case scenarios.If you, your spouse, or both of you, are from different countries, this podcast episode is a MUST to listen to. There's a lot more nuance at the intersection of immigration and family law than most people expect, and knowing it in advance can make all the difference.About LuciaLucia Ramirez Levias is a collaboratively trained divorce attorney and partner at DuBois Levias Law Group, a woman-owned boutique family law firm in Seattle. Her passion is helping families navigate divorce with dignity, clarity, and fairness—because “I know firsthand the lifelong impact these transitions have on children and parents alike.”As a collaborative divorce attorney, she guides couples through a structured, team-based process that keeps decisions in their hands—not the courtroom. Lucia’s goal is to de-escalate conflict, ensure financial security, and help families build agreements that support their futures. Divorce is a pivotal moment in a family’s life—but with the right guidance, it can be a positive transition. Lucia was admitted to the Washington State Bar Association in 2006 and has practiced family law exclusively since 2008. She serves on the Board of Collaborative Professionals of Washington and YMCA or Greater Seattle, is a member of the King County Collaborative Law section, as well as the Cascadia Collaborative Practice Group.Connect with LuciaYou can connect with Lucia on LinkedIn at Lucia Ramirez Levias and follow her on YouTube at @DuBoisLeviasDivorce.  To learn more about how to work with Lucia, visit her website at DuBois Levias Divorce.Karen Covy is a Divorce Coach and Consultant, Lawyer, Author, and Speaker who is dedicated to helping people make the best decisions possible for themselves, their families, and their future - especially in stressful times. You can check out Karen's videos on YouTube.You can connect with Karen on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and on her own website at karencovy.com.

Have you ever noticed that the more you talk about your problems, the bigger they seem to get? Master Certified Coach Claire Pedrick has spent over 30 years helping people figure out why that happens and (more importantly), what to do about it. Her approach to getting unstuck is surprisingly simple, and that's exactly what makes it so powerful.Claire introduces the idea of "right-sizing" problems by asking one small, focused question instead of trying to solve everything at once. She explains why talking to friends about your struggles can actually keep you stuck longer, what it means to be in the "soup," and why the path forward almost never looks like the big dramatic leap we imagine it will.Claire also gets into the role emotions play in decision-making. She talks about why venting has real value, why it needs boundaries, and why sometimes the best way to process grief has nothing to do with talking at all. If you've been spinning in your head about your marriage, divorce, or any other major life decision, and you just can’t seem to break through to get an answer you feel good about, this conversation offers a fresh way of looking at what's keeping you stuck so you can finally move forward.About ClaireClaire Pedrick doesn’t fix, direct, or diagnose. Instead, she helps people right-size problems so they can see clearly, take ownership, and move forward.  Her mission is bold: to replace outdated, coach-led models with simple, effective conversations that keep power where it belongs, with the person being coached.Claire models radical partnership. She is especially interested in presence. The kind that holds space without holding control, and teaches how to lead in partnership, even when the power isn’t equal.Connect with ClaireYou can connect with Clair on LinkedIn at Claire Pedrick and on Facebook at 3D Coaching.  You can follow Claire on YouTube at @3DCoaching and on Instagram at 3D Coaching.  To learn more about how to work with Claire, visit her website at 3D Coaching.Karen Covy is a Divorce Coach and Consultant, Lawyer, Author, and Speaker who is dedicated to helping people make the best decisions possible for themselves, their families, and their future - especially in stressful times. You can check out Karen's videos on YouTube.You can connect with Karen on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and on her own website at karencovy.com.

Most people in unhappy marriages aren’t stuck because they suddenly fell out of love with each other. They’re stuck because the relationship has developed a fundamental power imbalance that has eroded trust and dashed the dream of marriage equality that the couple shared in the early days of their marriage. In this podcast episode, Drs. Jake and Jennifer Dean-Hill, therapists, authors, and married partners who've built their lives around the science of equal partnership, share the story of how their own 33-year marriage became the laboratory for their “Two Crowns Framework” — a model built on the radical idea that true marital harmony requires both people to stay fully themselves.The doctors dig into why so many relationships quietly default to one person leading and the other shrinking and why women, in particular, are often conditioned to hand their power over without even realizing it. The Two Crowns Framework offers a concrete alternative model for marriage equality and relationship harmony. It’s grounded in mutual respect, shared power, and the idea that when two whole people bring their full selves into their marriage, without shrinking, they can create a “kingdom” that’s stronger than what either of them can create on their own.The Drs. also get specific about boundaries, motivation, and the surprising science behind why conflict escalates differently for men and women. They dive deeply into what it actually takes to rebuild trust once a relationship has hit a breaking point. Whether your marriage is “on the fence” or you’re already facing divorce but want to create a peaceful co-parenting relationship, this podcast episode can help you create the solid relationship you desire.About Drs. Jake & JennDrs. Jake & Jennifer Dean-Hill are therapists, authors, and partners in every sense of the word. As college sweethearts turned clinicians, they discovered that harmony in partnership comes from shared purpose. Through their own evolution, they developed the Wear Two Crowns framework: a modern model of partnership built on mutual respect, power, and peace. Today, they help couples, leaders, and organizations learn how to lead together without losing themselves in the process. Drs. Jake & Jenn both have their Masters in Social Work, their License in Independent Clinical Social Work, and Doctorates in Global Leadership and they reside in Southeast WA state.Connect with Drs. Jake & JennYou can connect with Drs. Jake & Jenn on LinkedIn at Drs. Jake & Jenn and on Facebook at Drs. Jake & Jenn.  You can follow Drs. Jake & Jenn on YouTube at @DrsJakeJenn and on Instagram at Drs. Jake & Jenn. To learn more about how to work with Drs. Jake & Jenn, visit their website at  Drs. Jake and Jenn.  And you can find their book here Two Crowns, One Kingdom: Navigate the dark forest to reach your happily-ever-after.Karen Covy is a Divorce Coach and Consultant, Lawyer, Author, and Speaker who is dedicated to helping people make the best decisions possible for themselves, their families, and their future - especially in stressful times. You can check out Karen's videos on YouTube.You can connect with Karen on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and on her own website at karencovy.com.

The hardest part of codependency in relationships is that from the outside, it can look like love. You feel like you’re the reliable one, the helper, the fixer, the person who keeps the relationship running, until one day you wake up tired, resentful, and unsure of what you even want anymore.Psychotherapist and codependency expert Michelle Farris breaks down what codependency in relationships actually looks like. She goes beyond the textbook definition and describes the real-life signs of co-dependency: like chronic resentment, losing yourself in a relationship, and feeling like you can't trust your own instincts.Michelle walks through what actually happens when you try to change a long-standing dynamic in a relationship, and why the other person's reaction to your changes will tell you a lot about whether the relationship has a future. She also explores how codependency often spills into how you parent, how you handle conflict, and even how you advocate for yourself during something as high-stakes as your divorce.If you’ve ever wondered where "being helpful" ends and codependency begins, or if you’re struggling with being able to trust yourself again after years of putting everyone else first, this podcast episode is for you. You’ll discover how to finally break the cycle of codependency and create healthy, sustainable relationships with those you love.Michelle shares a free resource on healing one-sided relationships, plus where to find her work online. If this conversation helps, subscribe, share it with a friend who over-gives, and leave a review so more people can find support.About MichelleMichelle Farris is a psychotherapist, codependency expert, and anger management specialist. She helps people create relationships that work without sacrificing themselves. She has reached over 3 million viewers on her YouTube channel, where she’s known for her relationship advice and expertise. Michelle empowers her clients to stop people-pleasing and trust themselves again so they can create a happier life.Connect with MichelleYou can connect with Michelle on LinkedIn at Michelle Farris and on Facebook at Counseling Recovery.  You can follow Michelle on YouTube at @MichelleFarrismft and on Instagram at Counseling Recovery. To learn more about how to work with Michelle, visit her website at Counseling Recovery.Grab Michelle’s free guide:  7 Steps to Healing One-Sided RelationshipsKaren Covy is a Divorce Coach and Consultant, Lawyer, Author, and Speaker who is dedicated to helping people make the best decisions possible for themselves, their families, and their future - especially in stressful times. You can check out Karen's videos on YouTube.You can connect with Karen on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and on her own website at karencovy.com.

Divorce often starts with the law and ends with burnout. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Karen McNenny, founder of the Good Divorce Academy and author of The Good Divorce, challenges the conventional wisdom of lawyering up first and fighting for everything you can get, especially when children are involved.In this podcast episode, Karen explains why having an elegant exit can prevent years of damage. She also reveals her counterintuitive roadmap for uncoupling that puts family stability before legal strategy. She shares how to stabilize your household before the legal fight begins, how to reduce everyday conflict when you’re still living under one roof, and how flexible nesting arrangements can help kids adjust gradually to a two-home family.  She explains why rushing to "just be done" often causes the most lasting damage, and what to do instead to protect both your kids and your co-parenting relationship long-term.Karen also explains why having a “good divorce” isn't a one-time event, it's an ongoing practice. From navigating the teenage years across two homes to knowing when to call in a therapist (and what kind), Karen draws on 15 years of personal experience and two decades of professional work to show that keeping your family intact through divorce isn't just possible, it's a choice you can make from day one and every day thereafter.About KarenRenowned for blending warmth, clarity, and practical strategy, Karen helps navigate change with intention. As a sought-after speaker, trusted advisor, and TEDx presenter, she draws on over two decades of leadership coaching and consulting across nonprofit, corporate, and public sectors.Karen is also the founder of the Good Divorce show and Good Divorce Academy, and author of The Good Divorce. Her lived experience—navigating her own divorce while raising children across two homes from kindergarten through college—proves families can restructure without rupturing, making her guidance profoundly relatable and effective.Connect with KarenYou can connect with Karen on LinkedIn at Good Divorce Coach and on Facebook at Good Divorce Coach.  You can follow Karen on YouTube @gooddivorcecoach and on Instagram at  Karen McNenny.  To learn more about how to work with Karen, visit her website at Karen McNenny.New From KarenThe Good Divorce: How to End Your Marriage Without Ending Your FamilyKaren Covy is a Divorce Coach and Consultant, Lawyer, Author, and Speaker who is dedicated to helping people make the best decisions possible for themselves, their families, and their future - especially in stressful times. You can check out Karen's videos on YouTube.You can connect with Karen on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and on her own website at karencovy.com.

If your spouse has cryptocurrency and you're heading into a divorce, you can leave a fortune on the table without even knowing it … and your lawyer might not be much help! Certified fraud investigator and cryptocurrency forensics expert Chris Groshong breaks down how digital assets like Bitcoin can be hidden, and more importantly, how they can be found. From blockchain's permanent transaction record to the hardware wallets that look deceptively like USB thumb drives, he explains what clues to look for and why they matter.In this podcast episode, we dive into the practical mechanics of uncovering hidden crypto: what questions to ask your spouse in discovery, how to subpoena Apple and Google for app download histories, and why a simple screenshot of a wallet balance is about as trustworthy as a picture of a bank account balance on a bad day. Chris also explains the difference between crypto held on a centralized exchange versus crypto held in self-custodied wallets. (That distinction dramatically affects how easy [or impossible] it is to track.)Perhaps most surprisingly, the discussion reveals that finding the crypto is only half the battle.  Deciding what to do with it (i.e. how to divide crypto in divorce) is just as important. Should you take the dollars or keep the crypto? The answer depends on the crypto’s tax basis, market timing, and your risk tolerance in holding a volatile asset that has historically gone from pennies to $100,000.If you or your spouse has any kind of cryptocurrency (or you’re not sure if you do!) this is a podcast episode you’re not going to want to miss.About ChrisChris Groshong is a Certified Fraud Investigator (CFI) and a leading expert in cryptocurrency forensics and blockchain compliance. With over a decade of experience in the crypto industry, he specializes in uncovering hidden digital assets in complex legal matters, including high-asset divorce cases, bankruptcy, and fraud investigations. He is a member of the CFCIA (California Financial Crimes Investigators Association), Government Blockchain Association, The Chamber of Digital Commerce, and has served as an Expert Witness in a Federal fraud case involving Bitcoin and Monero. He also has a public-private partnership with the FBI through Infragard.Connect with ChrisYou can connect with Chris on LinkedIn at Chris Groshong and on Facebook at Coinstructive.  You can follow Chris on YouTube at Coinstructive.  To learn more about how to work with Chris, visit his website at Coinstructive.   Find assistance for Crypto FraudThe Crypto Recovery Alliance  Karen Covy is a Divorce Coach and Consultant, Lawyer, Author, and Speaker who is dedicated to helping people make the best decisions possible for themselves, their families, and their future - especially in stressful times. You can check out Karen's videos on YouTube.You can connect with Karen on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and on her own website at karencovy.com.

When a business is on the line in a divorce, the financial stakes can be staggering - and most people don't realize how much they don't know. Whether you’re a business owner trying to protect your business in divorce, or a non-owner trying to value your spouse’s business, understanding the rules of business valuation is critical. Nicole Sodoma, a nationally recognized family law attorney and founder of one of the largest family law firms in the Carolinas, breaks down how business valuation works in divorce proceedings and why both spouses are often operating with blind spots that can cost them dearly.From the quiet strategies used to undervalue a business to the surprising ways lifestyle clues can tell a truer financial story than a tax return, there's far more to uncovering what a business is actually worth than most people expect. As a business owner who has navigated divorce herself, Nicole understands and explains how business owners often minimize what their company is worth, while the non-owner spouse may have no idea what questions to ask or what information to look for to dispute that value. Nicole also explores the emotionally exhausting stretch between separation and final divorce, especially for entrepreneurs and business owners who are trying to keep a company running while their personal life is unraveling. She highlights the “divorce fog” that can cloud judgment, the risks of making decisions too fast, and the importance of building a strong team before problems spiral.If you or someone you know owns a business and is going through a divorce, this podcast episode can make the difference between navigating through it with financial stability versus allowing your divorce to drive you to the edge of a financial cliff.About NicoleNicole Sodoma is a nationally recognized family law attorney, author and thought leader redefining divorce, co-parenting and modern family dynamics. She is the founder and managing principal of Sodoma Law, the largest family law firm in North and South Carolina. A former litigator, certified parenting coordinator and collaborative law attorney, Nicole draws on her own lived experience as a step-parent, mother, ex-wife and entrepreneur to provide personalized strategies and tools for families navigating complex transitions. She is the author of Please Don’t Say You’re Sorry, which helps readers navigate the challenges of marriage and divorce with insight, humor and practical tools to move forward. Nicole is also the founder of the Sodoma Law Foundation and has been featured in outlets including The Wall Street Journal, USA Today and Business Insider.Connect with NicoleYou can connect with Nicole on LinkedIn at Sodoma Law and on Facebook at Sodoma Law.  You can follow Nicole on YouTube at Sodoma Law and on Instagram at The Sodoma Way.  To learn more about working with Nicole, visit her website at Sodoma Law.Karen Covy is a Divorce Coach and Consultant, Lawyer, Author, and Speaker who is dedicated to helping people make the best decisions possible for themselves, their families, and their future - especially in stressful times. You can check out Karen's videos on YouTube.You can connect with Karen on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and on her own website at karencovy.com.

What if the most painful experience of your life could actually become the doorway to discovering who you really are? Lisa Lisser, a certified divorce coach and retired attorney who navigated the painful ending of her own 24-year marriage, shares a refreshingly grounded perspective on how to find the spiritual gift in divorce.As Lisa explains, divorce disrupts your identity, your nervous system, and the story you’ve told yourself for years about who you are. But with the proper perspective, mindset and a few practical tools, you can turn that disruption into a transformation In this episode Lisa introduces the concept of "strategic empathy," a practical tool rooted in neuroscience for dealing with even the most difficult, high-conflict, co-parenting situations.From tiny gratitude practices to mindset shifts that rewire how you see yourself, Lisa offers surprisingly simple, stackable steps that can pull you out of the darkest moments of divorce. Her approach opens the door to a different kind of transformation - one where divorce becomes not just something you survive, but something that can fundamentally change how you see yourself and your future.If you've ever felt like you've lost yourself in the divorce process, this conversation might just change how you think about what's possible on the other side.About LisaLisa Z. Lisser is a Certified Divorce Coach®, BeH2O® Child-Centered Coparenting Coach, and founder of LZL Coaching, where she integrates strategy with soul-centered transformation. A retired attorney with a master’s degree in Jewish education and more than 25 years of nonprofit leadership, Lisa brings a rare combination of legal insight, lived experience, and spiritual grounding to the divorce process. After navigating her own divorce, she recognized that beyond legal decisions, divorce is a profound identity shift — one that calls for clarity of values, courage, and conscious intention.Lisa helps clients slow down the emotional noise, reconnect to their deeper “why,” and build strategies rooted in who they are becoming. She believes that when divorce is approached as both a practical and spiritual transition, it becomes not just survivable — but transformative.Connect with LisaYou can connect with Lisa on LinkedIn at Lisa Z. Lisser and on Facebook at LZL Coaching.  You can follow Lisa on Instagram at Divorce Coach Lisa and on YouTube at The Divorce Clarity Studio with Lisa Lisser.  To learn more about working with Lisa visit her website at LZL Coaching.Karen Covy is a Divorce Coach and Consultant, Lawyer, Author, and Speaker who is dedicated to helping people make the best decisions possible for themselves, their families, and their future - especially in stressful times. You can check out Karen's videos on YouTube.You can connect with Karen on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and on her own website at karencovy.com.

What if the secret to getting through one of life's hardest chapters isn't therapy, legal advice, or even time - but simply putting on your sneakers? Fitness instructor and cancer exercise specialist Carly Fauth joins the Off the Fence podcast to make a compelling case for movement as medicine, not just for the body, but for the mind and emotions, too. As a triple-negative breast cancer survivor who kept teaching and working out through chemotherapy, Carly brings hard-won, personal credibility to everything she shares about using exercise to manage divorce stress.Carly unpacks the connection between physical stress and emotional turmoil in a way that’s practical, relatable, and (most importantly) DO-ABLE. Her advice resonates whether you're navigating a divorce, a diagnosis, or just a season of life that's knocked you flat. Carly explains why stress tanks your motivation to move right when movement matters most, and how even small, consistent actions can shift your brain chemistry and help you feel more in control. We talk about Carly's 15-minute fitness method, the principle of habit stacking, and the one thing Carly believes everyone needs before they can sustain any healthy habit long-term. (Spoiler Alert: it has nothing to do with willpower.)This conversation connects movement, mindset, and personal resilience in a way that challenges common excuses and invites a fresh perspective on what it really means to take care of yourself when life gets hard.About CarlyCarly Fauth is a fitness instructor, mentor, and cancer exercise specialist with over 15 years of experience helping people build strength, resilience, and confidence through movement that fits their real lives. As the founder of Fit in Fitness and FitFunCarly, she creates accessible programs—from one-on-one coaching to group experiences—that help people reconnect with their bodies and feel empowered through intentional, joy-filled movement. A triple-negative breast cancer survivor, Carly continued teaching and exercising throughout chemotherapy and surgery, and now supports cancer patients, survivors, and caregivers in staying active through treatment and beyond. Her mission is to show that movement isn’t just exercise—it can be medicine, empowerment, and joy, even in just 15 minutes a day.Connect with CarlyYou can connect with Carly on LinkedIn at Carly Fauth and on Facebook at Fit Fun Carly.  You can follow Carly on YouTube at Fit Fun Carly and Instagram at Fit Fun Carly.  To learn more about working with Carly, visit her website at Fit Fun Carly.Karen Covy is a Divorce Coach and Consultant, Lawyer, Author, and Speaker who is dedicated to helping people make the best decisions possible for themselves, their families, and their future - especially in stressful times. You can check out Karen's videos on YouTube.You can connect with Karen on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and on her own website at karencovy.com.

If you're going through a divorce, there's a financial landmine hiding in plain sight that most people don't even think to check … and it could cost you years of headaches after your divorce is over. In this podcast episode, consumer protection attorney Jim Smith explains how credit reports actually work, why errors happen more often than people think, and how consumers can spot credit mistakes during their divorce before they cause serious financial damage afterward.Jim explains how common credit mistakes, from identity theft to identity confusion and mis-reported credit information, can quietly wreak havoc on your credit score. He also walks through the specific red flags you should look for when reviewing your own report. He also reveals the one legitimate website where you can pull all three of your credit reports completely free, and how to tell the difference between a soft and hard inquiry.Jim also talks about the divorce-specific scenarios that most people (and even many divorce attorneys!) never even think about. From joint credit cards to authorized user accounts, Jim outlines the surprisingly easy steps that, if taken during the divorce process, could save you from a financial nightmare on the other side.About JimJim Smith is a consumer protection attorney with over 20 years of experience litigating under the Fair Credit Reporting Act. He specializes in reviewing credit reports during divorce to help clients identify errors, identity theft, and joint account issues that could impact their financial future post-divorce.Connect with JimYou can connect with Jim on LinkedIn at James Smith.  To learn more about working with Jim, visit his website at Fair Credit Attorneys.Free Annual Credit ReportYou can get your free annual credit report at annualcreditreport.com.Karen Covy is a Divorce Coach and Consultant, Lawyer, Author, and Speaker who is dedicated to helping people make the best decisions possible for themselves, their families, and their future - especially in stressful times. You can check out Karen's videos on YouTube.You can connect with Karen on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and on her own website at karencovy.com.

Divorce isn’t just painful. It’s full of hidden divorce mistakes that can quietly derail your future if you don’t see them coming. After interviewing over 170 divorce experts and real people who've been through the divorce process, the Off the Fence podcast team has distilled three years' worth of podcast conversations into the five most expensive mistakes divorcing people make so that YOU can avoid making them yourself.This episode opens by examining the patterns that kept showing up across all different experts (lawyers, mediators, therapists, financial professionals, coaches, and people who have lived through the process themselves) over the past three years. You’ll discover common themes, hard-won wisdom, and practical tools you can use in your own life.What makes this episode especially useful is the way it moves from big-picture awareness to practical application. It doesn’t just name common divorce mistakes; it explains why people make them and how those mistakes play out in real life You’ll get links to the specific experts and topics you want to explore, from decision-making to divorce process choices, financial preparation, high-conflict dynamics, and emotional regulation. This episode functions like a mini divorce roadmap. It will help you slow down, see the divorce process more strategically, and recognize that better outcomes usually come from better preparation, better self-awareness, and better choices made early.Karen Covy is a Divorce Coach and Consultant, Lawyer, Author, and Speaker who is dedicated to helping people make the best decisions possible for themselves, their families, and their future - especially in stressful times. You can check out Karen's videos on YouTube.You can connect with Karen on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and on her own website at karencovy.com.

Most couples don’t fall apart because they don’t love each other. They fall apart because they don’t understand the patterns quietly running their relationship. In this podcast episode, Psychotherapist and relationship coach Christie Bemis reveals why traditional marriage counseling often fails ... and what actually works to create lasting change in struggling marriages. With over 20 years of experience and a fresh approach called Relational Life Therapy, Christie explains how the coping mechanisms that protected us in childhood often sabotage our adult relationships. Instead of treating both partners as "the problem," Christie focuses on the dysfunctional pattern they've created together. This one small shift changes everything, because when you’re focused on your own behavior, you can change the pattern and dynamic of your entire relationship even if your partner doesn’t change.Christie also dives deeply into themes like emotional attunement, boundaries, intimacy, and why communication tools alone rarely fix relationship disconnection. If your marriage is struggling and traditional marriage counseling just hasn’t worked, this podcast episode can open the door to a whole new approach that just might save your marriage.About ChristieChristie Bemis is a psychotherapist, sex educator, and relationship coach with over 20 years of experience helping people deepen intimacy and connection. She’s the founder of Hot Pink YOUniversity, host of the Ignite Your Life podcast, and author of multiple offerings that empower people to reignite passion and prioritize love.Connect with ChristieYou can connect with Christie on LinkedIn at Christie Bemis and on Facebook at Hot Pink You. You can follow Christie on Instagram at Christie Bemis and on YouTube at Hot Pink YOUniversity. To learn more about working with Christie, visit her website at Christie Bemis.Special OfferCurious about the health of your relationship? Christie is offering the SPARCS Assessment for couples on her website. In less than 10 minutes, this online tool evaluates all six areas of partnership — helping you celebrate your strengths and pinpoint the areas that could use a little more love and support.Karen Covy is a Divorce Coach and Consultant, Lawyer, Author, and Speaker who is dedicated to helping people make the best decisions possible for themselves, their families, and their future - especially in stressful times. You can check out Karen's videos on YouTube.You can connect with Karen on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and on her own website at karencovy.com.

Divorce doesn't come with an instruction manual … but what if it could? When veteran celebrity journalist Ilyssa Panitz filed for divorce in 2018, she searched desperately for someone who could translate the confusing legal jargon and overwhelming process into plain English, but that "divorce correspondent" didn't exist. So as her long-running divorce dragged on, Ilyssa became the resource she wished she'd had all along. In 2020 Ilyssa launched a nationally syndicated radio show, streaming TV series, and website dedicated to demystifying every aspect of divorce. From the shocking cost of legal retainers to why fighting over the family home might be the worst financial decision you'll make, Ilyssa breaks down the critical mistakes people make when they're too emotional to think straight. She explains why your legal team is just one piece of a much larger puzzle and how to analyze decisions in a common-sense way that will keep the drama (and your legal fees!) down.Whether you're considering divorce, in the middle of one, or trying to rebuild after, Ilyssa’s hard-won wisdom offers a roadmap through the chaos. She tackles everything from hidden liens on your house to what happens to kids when parents vent publicly about their divorce. Ilyssa wraps up with a message of hope: that with the right preparation and the right team, you can emerge from divorce not broken, but empowered.  (And yes, we talk about celebrity divorce, too!)About IlyssaVeteran journalist Ilyssa Panitz is a trailblazer - one of the world's foremost journalists about divorce and a highly accomplished entertainment news reporter, producer, and editor for more than 25+ years. Ilyssa began writing about divorce for Authority Magazine in 2020. Her work with the publication led Ilyssa to launch a website and radio show tackling every issue and angle surrounding all stages of divorce. Her nationally syndicated show "The Divorce Hour with Ilyssa Panitz" airs every Saturday and Sunday on CRN Digital Talk Radio Network and streams on 14 platforms including Spotify, Amazon, iTunes, Apple, and all podcast platforms. In 2024, Ilyssa debuted her new streaming television series "Ways Thru Divorce" on Your Home TV, a free on-demand streaming platform. Throughout her career, Ilyssa's important connections in the world of entertainment, sports, and business have made her a go-to writer for A-list talents like Tom Hanks, John Travolta, Dolly Parton, Oprah, Jane Fonda, Will Smith, Venus Williams, Meryl Streep, Jay Leno and more. Ilyssa is one of the most well-rounded journalists in the industry today. Connect with IlyssaYou can follow Ilyssa on Instagram, X and TikTok @ilyssapanitz and get exclusive content from The Divorce Hour and Ways Thru Divorce on Instagram @thedivorcehour and @waysthrudivorce.  To learn more about working with Ilyssa, visit her website at Ilyssa Panitz.Karen Covy is a Divorce Coach and Consultant, Lawyer, Author, and Speaker who is dedicated to helping people make the best decisions possible for themselves, their families, and their future - especially in stressful times. You can check out Karen's videos on YouTube.You can connect with Karen on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and on her own website at karencovy.com.

Divorce can feel like an emotional freefall, especially because you don’t know what to expect or when the pain will stop. That’s precisely the problem that Oona Metz has set out to end in her book on divorce grief, entitled Unhitched: The Essential Divorce Guide for Women.As a licensed clinical social worker with decades of experience, Oona shares how her own divorce led her to create structured, therapist-led divorce support groups for women who desperately needed reassurance, guidance, and a sense that they weren’t alone. Through that work, Oona has identified five distinct phases of divorce grief that everyone who experiences a divorce will go through.Like Elisabeth Kubler Ross’ five stages of grief, Oona’s five phases of divorce grief provide structure to what otherwise seems to be a chaotic experience. Identifying and understanding those phases of grief provide those navigating divorce with a roadmap through one of life's most disorienting experiencesIn this podcast episode, Oona walks through how heartbreak, emotional ups and downs, healing, letting go, and moving forward actually show up in real life. She also offers practical insight into boundaries, high-conflict co-parenting, and dating after divorce, all with a focus on helping women regain clarity, confidence, and a sense of self.If you or someone you love is navigating the choppy waters of divorce grief, this podcast episode will provide you with the structure and support you need to get through your challenges with more confidence and grace.About OonaOona Metz is the author of Unhitched: The Essential Divorce Guide for Women. She is a therapist with 30 years of clinical experience. For the past 15 years she has specialized in treating women navigating divorce. She leads three weekly divorce support groups and trains mental health professionals to lead them as well. Connect with OonaYou can connect with Oona on LinkedIn at Oona Metz and on Facebook at Women Navigating Divorce.  You can follow Oona on YouTube at Oona Metz and on Instagram at Oona Metz.  To learn more about working with Oona, visit her website at Oona Metz.New from OonaOona’s new book is what you need to support you through the emotional side of divorce.  Order your copy now!  Unhitched:  The Essential Divorce Guide for Women.Karen Covy is a Divorce Coach and Consultant, Lawyer, Author, and Speaker who is dedicated to helping people make the best decisions possible for themselves, their families, and their future - especially in stressful times. You can check out Karen's videos on YouTube.You can connect with Karen on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and on her own website at karencovy.com.

Money fights don’t usually start with numbers. They start with invisible beliefs you don’t realize you’re carrying, and they show up in the money conversations you have or don’t have with your spouse. In this podcast episode, Terry Gaspard, a licensed therapist, author, and relationship expert, explains why money becomes such a charged issue in relationships and how childhood experiences shape our money beliefs in ways we rarely recognize. Drawing from both professional research and her own personal experience, Terry talks about the scarcity versus abundance mindsets and why a clash of mindsets quietly drives conflict, even in strong relationships.Unexamined money beliefs turn into blame, defensiveness, and power struggles, often without either partner understanding what’s really happening. Terry shares how awareness, education, and intentional money conversations can help couples uncover their money “scripts,” understand each other’s financial styles, and stop treating financial disagreements as personal attacks. Whether you're struggling with conflicting money mindsets or just want to strengthen your financial partnership, this conversation offers actionable strategies that can transform how you handle money as a couple.About Terry Terry Gaspard, MSW, LICSW, is a licensed therapist with over thirty years of clinical experience specializing in individuals, couples, and families, divorce, remarriage, as well as an author, nonfiction writer, and college instructor. She is a contributor to Huffington Post, The Good Men Project, The Gottman Institute Blog, and Marriage.com.  Two of her research studies on adult children of divorce have been published in the Journal of Divorce and Remarriage.Connect with Terry You can find Terry on LinkedIn at Terry Gaspard, Facebook at Moving Past Divorce, Twitter at Moving Past Divorce and on her website at Moving Past Divorce.New from TerryYou can find Terry's new book, Let's Talk About Money: Low-Conflict Conversations for Couples" available on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.  Also available on audiobook on Amazon.Karen Covy is a Divorce Coach and Consultant, Lawyer, Author, and Speaker who is dedicated to helping people make the best decisions possible for themselves, their families, and their future - especially in stressful times. You can check out Karen's videos on YouTube.You can connect with Karen on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and on her own website at karencovy.com.

What if the real block between you and the extraordinary love you want isn’t dating apps or “bad luck,” but the stories your nervous system is still carrying? In this podcast episode, relationship mentor Riana Malia shares how her own history of divorce, betrayal, a DEA raid, and multiple abusive relationships pushed her to develop a way of clearing decades of stored trauma without rehashing every detail in therapy. Riana explains how tapping into the unconscious mind, releasing old emotional “marbles” like anger, shame, and fear, and practicing true forgiveness allowed her to stop repeating painful patterns and finally create a healthy, aligned partnership. Now Riana uses simple but powerful tools to help her clients do the same thing.Riana’s work is radically different than traditional techniques and sits somewhere between therapy and traditional coaching. What matters most is incredible results Riana helps her clients achieve in a fraction of the time most people spend in therapy.Finally, Riana introduces her Extraordinary Love Index (“ELI”), a free diagnostic assessment designed to help you answer one big question: what’s actually standing between you and extraordinary love? If you’re looking to break free from your old patterns and finally discover the love you’ve always wanted, this podcast episode is for you.About RianaRiana helps high-achieving women who’ve built a life they’re proud of in their career, family, friendships and growth but still feel stuck in the same old love patterns. Through her signature method, she helps them rewire the subconscious beliefs and recode the nervous system responses that have shaped their relationships for decades, so they can finally create extraordinary love that matches the life they’ve built.Connect with RianaYou can connect with Riana on LinkedIn at Riana Malia and on Facebook at Riana Malia.  You can follow Riana on her You Tube channel at Riana Malia and on Instagram at Riana Malia. To learn more about working with Riana, visit her website at Riana Malia.Free Assessment:  Extraordinary Love IndexA 40-question self-discovery tool that reveals the hidden patterns quietly shaping your love life and keeping you from the extraordinary partnership you’re ready for. Listeners receive a personalized 28-page report that highlights their unique blueprint and the next steps to reset it.Karen Covy is a Divorce Coach and Consultant, Lawyer, Author, and Speaker who is dedicated to helping people make the best decisions possible for themselves, their families, and their future - especially in stressful times. You can check out Karen's videos on YouTube.You can connect with Karen on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and on her own website at karencovy.com.

What if the biggest obstacle in your divorce isn't your spouse, but the system itself? Jonathan Merel, a progressive Chicago family law and divorce attorney with over 20 years of experience, reveals the hidden dynamics that can turn even amicable divorces into drawn-out nightmares. From lawyers who overpromise to judges who won't decide, he explains why some divorces cost fortunes while others resolve efficiently.In this podcast episode, we dive deeply into high-conflict divorces, exploring what happens when only one spouse is reasonable or when opposing counsel ramps up the conflict for profit. Jonathan also shares practical strategies for dealing with difficult spouses and identifying problematic lawyers. [Hint: If your lawyer isn't returning calls within 24 hours, that's a red flag.] Jonathan’s law firm has also pioneered an unconventional approach to family law. It’s the only Chicago law firm that has a divorce coach on staff to bridge the gap between legal expertise and emotional support, and in this episode you’ll discover what a difference that makes.Finally, Jonathan explains divorce trial realities that would shock most people, from cases getting trial dates scattered over an entire year, to judges taking months to issue rulings, and costs mounting relentlessly. We also talk about the benefits of mediation and the way COVID has permanently shifted the landscape in divorce.If you are even considering going to trial in your divorce (or if you have no choice), this podcast episode is one you can’t afford to miss. About JonathanJonathan Merel is an experienced attorney who advocates for his clients in all divorce and family law proceedings, including settlement negotiations and trials. Jonathan founded Merel Family Law in early 2009 after working for many years at another family law firm in Chicago. Through his hard work and unwavering dedication to his clients, Jonathan has quickly grown the firm to become one of the premier divorce and family law firms in the Chicagoland area.Connect with JonathanYou can connect with Jonathan on LinkedIn at Jonathan Merel.  You can follow Jonathan on Instagram at Merel Family Law and listen to his podcast  All Things Divorce Podcast. To learn more about working with Jonathan, visit his website at Merel Family Law.Karen Covy is a Divorce Coach and Consultant, Lawyer, Author, and Speaker who is dedicated to helping people make the best decisions possible for themselves, their families, and their future - especially in stressful times. You can check out Karen's videos on YouTube.You can connect with Karen on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and on her own website at karencovy.com.

Divorce can feel like a never-ending war that slowly strips you of your money, your identity, and your sense of control. Ravit Rose learned this the hard way after burning through over $100,000 and nearly a decade and a half of her life in a brutal, toxic divorce that left her broke, depressed, and questioning everything. In this podcast episode, Ravit reveals how cycling through lawyers, escalating court battles, and making emotionally reactive decisions only fueled the conflict and nearly broke her physically, financially, and emotionally. Through self-representation, intense self-development, and learning how to remove emotion from strategy, Ravit discovered that winning in divorce has far less to do with aggression and far more to do with how you show up. The conversation goes beyond legal process and dives into the often-ignored reality that divorce is mostly about the human being going through it, not just the paperwork. Now a divorce scientist and the founder of the Irooze Divorce Community, Ravit helps parents navigate separation and divorce by matching them with specialized professionals who address not just their legal paperwork and financial documents, but their mind, body, and soul as well. Whether you're contemplating divorce, in the thick of battle, or trying to rebuild your life after divorce, Ravit's message is clear: divorce isn't a one-person show, and the 20% that's legal and financial can't succeed without addressing the 80% that's about your own transformation. About RavitRavit Rose is a Divorce Scientist and Founder of the Irooze Divorce community. Parents across USA and Canada are matched & connected to the "right " Divorce support team, based on their needs.  Ravit helps her clients grow and develop, and prepare their strategy to help them get move through this period of their life.Connect with RavitYou can connect with Ravit on LinkedIn at Ravit Rose and follow Ravit on YouTube at Irooze Divorce Community.  To learn more about working with Ravit, visit her website at Irooze Divorce. More from RavitTake a free Self Assessment on Ravit’s website and schedule a complimentary call with one of our Divorce Specialists.Karen Covy is a Divorce Coach and Consultant, Lawyer, Author, and Speaker who is dedicated to helping people make the best decisions possible for themselves, their families, and their future - especially in stressful times. You can check out Karen's videos on YouTube.You can connect with Karen on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and on her own website at karencovy.com.

When you can’t decide whether to stay or go in your marriage, your biggest fear is that if you decide to leave, you’ll be making a mistake. But staying on the fence can be an even bigger one.In this special solo episode of the Off the Fence Podcast, I talk about why staying in limbo is so hard, and how you can finally move through it. I break down why waiting for absolute certainty will keep you frozen, and why clarity comes from taking action, not from a magical, lightning-bolt moment. Most importantly, I explore the real impact of staying versus leaving on children, finances, identity, and long-term happiness, all while challenging some of the biggest myths people believe about divorce.Whether you're just beginning to question your marriage or you've been wrestling with the decision about whether to stay or go for years, this podcast episode offers a roadmap for moving from confusion to clarity. It will help you learn how to trust yourself enough to make this kind of decision, and will give you a practical framework and the tools to make that decision in a way you won't second-guess for the rest of your life.Karen Covy is a Divorce Coach and Consultant, Lawyer, Author, and Speaker who is dedicated to helping people make the best decisions possible for themselves, their families, and their future - especially in stressful times. You can check out Karen's videos on YouTube.You can connect with Karen on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and on her own website at karencovy.com.

What if the patterns keeping you stuck in unfulfilling relationships trace back to wounds you didn't even know needed healing? Relationship coach and hypnotherapist Mina Yang reveals how unresolved childhood trauma can quietly sabotage your ability to choose the right partners. More importantly, she reveals how you can finally break free. Through her unique approach combining hypnotherapy and relationship coaching, Mina helps you understand why you keep repeating the same relationship mistakes and how you can finally have the love life you deserve.In this podcast episode, Mina explains how childhood traumas create subconscious beliefs that drive our adult relationship choices, often causing us to chase emotionally unavailable partners or to sabotage our intimate relationships. She also shows how customized hypnotherapy recordings and guided meditations can rewire our deeply ingrained beliefs so that we can stop chasing the wrong partners and finally become attracted to someone healthier. We also talk about the practical issues of when you should start dating after a divorce, how to avoid dating app scammers, and how to recognize red flags early on in a relationship. Healthy, drama-free partnerships do exist, and this podcast episode could be your key to finally creating the love life and relationship you’ve been dreaming of.About MinaMina Yang is a former academic turned hypnotherapist, relationship coach, and author devoted to helping people thrive in love and life. Drawing on her 20+ years as a music professor, her certification in Rapid Transformational Therapy, and her deep understanding of human psychology, she guides clients toward emotional freedom, self-love, and authentic connection. Mina’s work, including her book Boss Lady Boss Love, blends science, art, and soul to help people release old patterns and open to relationships that truly expand them.Connect with MinaYou can connect with Mina on LinkedIn at Mina Yang True Connection and follow Mina on YouTube at Mina Yang.  To learn more about working with Mina, visit her website at Mina Yang.More from MinaGet your copy of Mina’s book Boss Lady Boss LoveJoin her upcoming retreat in April: True Connection RetreatLearn more about her VIP True Connection CircleKaren Covy is a Divorce Coach and Consultant, Lawyer, Author, and Speaker who is dedicated to helping people make the best decisions possible for themselves, their families, and their future - especially in stressful times. You can check out Karen's videos on YouTube.You can connect with Karen on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and on her own website at karencovy.com.

What if the evidence you need to win your divorce is hidden and you don't even know where to look? Becky Sampson, founder of Only Subpoenas, learned this lesson the hard way when she spent three and a half years representing herself against five attorneys in Hawaii family court. After mastering the art of subpoenas through 21 successful requests for financial records, she didn't just win her case, she discovered how to level the playing field when a spouse is hiding assets.Most people think getting a forensic accountant is the answer when money seems to be missing, but there's a catch: accountants can only work with the documents they have been given. If your spouse won’t come clean with the financial records, even the best forensic accountant won’t be able to find where the money is hidden.Subpoenas help you find the records you don’t have. They’re the actual key to uncovering hidden finances, from retirement accounts to employment records. Becky explains the critical mistakes that cause one in three subpoenas to get rejected, why "foreign subpoenas" across state lines are trickier than anyone realizes, and how proper documentation creates the leverage that often leads to settlement before trial.Now helping attorneys navigate the tedious compliance requirements most law firms avoid, Becky shows how the right information (obtained the right way) can transform a divorce from an endless battle into a fair resolution. Whether you're self-represented or working with a lawyer, understanding when and how to use subpoenas could be the difference between guessing what exists and actually proving it in court.About BeckyBecky Sampson is the Founder of ONLY Subpoenas™, a company born out of her own hard-won victory in the Hawaii Family Court system. After 21 hearings, 21 subpoenas, and 3½ years representing herself against five attorneys, Becky didn’t just win — she secured a fair and equitable financial outcome that honored both parties while keeping compassion at the center.Now affectionately known as “Becky Brockovich,” she uses that experience to help others—especially women—navigate the legal and financial complexities of divorce with strength, clarity, and strategy. Her mission is to teach people how to uncover the truth, organize their evidence, and negotiate from a place of empowerment so they can walk away not just with peace of mind, but with what’s fair financially.Connect with BeckyYou can connect with Becky on LinkedIn at Becky Sampson and on Facebook at Becky Sampson.  You can follow Becky on Instagram at Divorcing Strong Becky Sampson and on YouTube at Divorcing Strong.  To learn more about working with Becky, visit her website at Only Subpoenas.Free Download:  100 Legal Divorce TermsKaren Covy is a Divorce Coach and Consultant, Lawyer, Author, and Speaker who is dedicated to helping people make the best decisions possible for themselves, their families, and their future - especially in stressful times. You can check out Karen's videos on YouTube.You can connect with Karen on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and on her own website at karencovy.com.

When life throws you into chaos - whether it's a divorce, a fractured family relationship, or a crossroads moment - the advice you get next can either save you or sink you. This compilation brings together the most powerful insights from the best of over 50 episodes about divorce, relationships, finance, psychology, and wellness. The professionals in this episode distill years of wisdom into practical strategies that actually work when your life is falling apart. From narcissistic abuse survivors to financial planners, therapists to health experts, these are the voices who've helped thousands navigate their darkest moments and come out stronger on the other side.In this "Best of Off the Fence 2025" episode, you'll discover how adult children can be systematically isolated by narcissistic partners, the surprising way to flip out of "victim mode" by asking one simple question, and the Social Security mistakes that could cost you thousands. You'll also get practical guidance on building self-care routines that go beyond bubble baths and how to turn post-divorce dating into the foundation for a solid, fulfilling long-term relationship. Whether you're navigating family conflict, making financial decisions, trying to heal and rebuild after divorce, or you're looking to start over romantically, this collection offers the hard-won wisdom that only comes from experts who've guided countless others through these exact challenges.Episode 113: Narcissistic Alienation of Adult Children:  When Love Turns to LossTracy Malone is an International divorce coach, narcissist abuse survival coach, author, speaker, educator, victim, and surTHRIVER of narcissistic abuse. Visit Tracy’s website Narcissist Abuse Support. Episode 117: Trapped in Victim Mode? How to Flip Your Drama TriangleDr.  Carrie Johansson is a psychologist turned speaker and author. Fondly known as The Sensible Psychologist. Visit her website at Self Help On The Go. Episode 155:  Social Security Mistakes That Cost Your ThousandsEric Blake is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® helping women 55+ navigate retirement with clarity and confidence. Visit Eric’s website at Blake Wealth Management.Episode 137:  Real Self-Care That Works When Your Life is Falling ApartJennifer Gilman, is a National Board-Certified Health & Wellness Coach and the visionary force behind New Way Health Coach. Visit Jennifer’s website at New Way Health Coach.Episode 141:  Navigating Post-Divorce Dating with Love Expert Laurie GerberLaurie Gerber is one of the most engaging and effective life coaches and presenters in the country. Visit her website at Laurie Gerber.  Karen Covy is a Divorce Coach and Consultant, Lawyer, Author, and Speaker who is dedicated to helping people make the best decisions possible for themselves, their families, and their future - especially in stressful times. You can check out Karen's videos on YouTube.You can connect with Karen on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and on her own website at karencovy.com.

Holidays can feel like a punch in the stomach when you’re going through a divorce.  But divorce expert Jackie Pilossoph, the creator and CEO of Divorced Girl Smiling, has the perfect set of practical tips that will help you bring back some holiday joy, in spite of your divorce.In this podcast episode, Jackie shares deeply relatable stories and actionable tips for surviving the holidays, even if you’re feeling sad, alone, or overwhelmed. Jackie opens up about her own experience of spending her first Christmas without her kids, offering insights on how to honor your emotions while finding ways to reclaim joy during these tough times.If you’re alone today – or on any major holiday – Jackie’s creative and practical ideas will help you feel better right now, even if you didn’t plan ahead. You’ll discover how taking even small steps can shift your mindset and improve your mood, even when you think that’s impossible. You'll also learn how you can celebrate a whole new you in the new year!Don’t struggle through the holiday season! Take a break. Listen to this episode. You’ll feel better.[NOTE: This episode originally ran as Episode 101, but it was so good, we just had to bring it back to spread more holiday cheer this year!]About JackieJackie Pilossoph is the creator and Editor-in-chief of Divorced Girl Smiling, a media company comprised of a website, podcast, mobile app and professional resources. Jackie holds a Masters degree in Broadcast Journalism and is a former television news reporter and features reporter and writer for the Chicago Tribune.Where to Connect with JackieYou can connect with Jackie on Facebook at Divorced Girl Smiling or in her Facebook Group, The Divorced Girl Smiling Group. She is on LinkedIn as Divorced Girl Smiling. You can also find her on her website  at DivorcedGirlSmiling.com.The DGS Club is no longer being offered. But new resources are always being added to the Divorced Girl Smiling website. Please check out the website today and discover how Divorced Girl Smiling can support your divorce journey.Karen Covy is a Divorce Coach and Consultant, Lawyer, Author, and Speaker who is dedicated to helping people make the best decisions possible for themselves, their families, and their future - especially in stressful times. You can check out Karen's videos on YouTube.You can connect with Karen on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and on her own website at karencovy.com.

What if the biggest financial mistake you'll ever make isn't choosing the wrong investment … it's avoiding having the investment conversation altogether? Elke Rubach left traditional law practice to create a wealth advisory firm built on a radical idea: that financial planning fails when it ignores the human beings behind the numbers. Her approach emerged from the personal tragedy her family experienced when her father's death revealed how financially unprepared her family really was.At the heart of Elke’s approach is a simple but uncomfortable truth: avoiding money conversations is still a decision. Financial lives, like homes, require regular maintenance. Wills, insurance, taxes, investments, and goals can’t run properly on autopilot. And when a crisis happens (divorce, illness, or death), your resilience increases when you’re prepared. Whether you're contemplating staying in a marriage or leaving, financial clarity reveals the real "price of freedom."  Wealth decreases when you prolong a conflict. But it increases when you’re informed and clear about your financial reality and willing to make decisions based on that knowledge.If you’re ready to replace anxiety with agency - whether you’re partnered, single, or rebuilding - this conversation gives you a blueprint to start.About ElkeElke M. Rubach is the Founder and Principal of Rubach Wealth Holistic Family Advisors™, a Toronto-based firm helping successful families achieve clarity, control, and confidence in their financial lives. A former lawyer, Elke brings a sharp legal mind and a deep sense of empathy to her work, integrating wealth planning, tax strategy, and legacy design through a human lens. She is the host of the Get Your House in Order podcast, where she explores money, leadership, and purpose with thought leaders and change-makers. Passionate about giving back, Elke is also a dedicated philanthropist, co-chairing Fashion Heals for SickKids and championing causes that build stronger, more intentional communities.Connect with ElkeYou can connect with Elke on LinkedIn at Elke E Rubach and follow Elke on Instagram at Elke Rubach, Rubach Wealth and X at Rubach Wealth.  For more information on working with Elke, visit her website at Rubach Wealth.Karen Covy is a Divorce Coach and Consultant, Lawyer, Author, and Speaker who is dedicated to helping people make the best decisions possible for themselves, their families, and their future - especially in stressful times. You can check out Karen's videos on YouTube.You can connect with Karen on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and on her own website at karencovy.com.

Stuck in a slow, expensive divorce that seems to feed on confusion? Karen Arndt, CEO and co-founder of “What Would a Judge Say”, has created a groundbreaking service that's turning the traditional divorce process on its head. After watching countless couples drain their savings fighting over finances while navigating an opaque system that takes months or years to complete, Karen asked a radical question: What if you could skip straight to a judge's opinion before spending years in litigation? Then she and her ex-husband created a company that does exactly that. “Whatwouldajudgesay.com” is a UK company that connects divorcing couples with real family court judges who provide opinions on asset division for a fixed fee … and they do it in just three months.The service works by having couples submit their financial disclosures to judges who review the information and deliver a professional opinion on how the assets should be divided, exactly as if the case had gone to court. What makes the judge’s opinion particularly powerful is that it gives couples clear parameters for how they should settle their divorce based on actual legal standards, not emotions or wishful thinking.While this service is currently available only in England and Wales, Karen is exploring expansion to the United States as well as other Commonwealth countries. Whether you're a couple seeking clarity together or someone investigating options independently, this innovative approach offers something the traditional system rarely provides: certainty, affordability, and control over your own future.About KarenKaren Arndt is the Co-Founder and CEO of whatwouldajudgesay.com, a UK-based legal-tech startup transforming divorce settlements through judge-led clarity and AI innovation. Having lived and worked across London, Amsterdam, New York, Tokyo, Düsseldorf, Berlin, and Atlanta, she speaks fluent Dutch and German and has a deep appreciation for American culture — her son now lives in New York, and her ex-husband is based in Charlotte, North Carolina. Karen’s career spans IBM, Ogilvy, RTL, and BBC World, giving her a rare perspective on leadership, reinvention, and what it takes to build a business from the ground up across cultures and continents.Connect with KarenYou can connect with Karen on LinkedIn at Karen Arndt and Facebook at What Would A Judge Say.  You can follow Karen on Instagram at What Would A Judge Say and on X at What Would A Judge Say.  To find out more about Karen’s work visit her website at What Would A Judge Say.Karen Covy is a Divorce Coach and Consultant, Lawyer, Author, and Speaker who is dedicated to helping people make the best decisions possible for themselves, their families, and their future - especially in stressful times. You can check out Karen's videos on YouTube.You can connect with Karen on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and on her own website at karencovy.com.

Sometimes the hardest part of divorce is realizing you actually have choices. But that’s exactly where Rosemarie Ferrante begins. A seasoned family law attorney with more than 25 years of experience, Rosemarie shares how to divorce without court and how. mediation and Collaborative Divorce can transform your most painful transition into an opportunity for growth. Drawing from both her professional expertise and her own experience as a divorced mother of three, she reveals why even SHE wishes she'd done some things differently.This discussion dives deeply into what mediation and Collaborative Divorce actually look like in practice, and they're not what most people assume. Rosemarie explains how couples can build custom teams of professionals (legal, financial, and emotional) tailored to their specific needs. Those teams enable a couple to navigate complex finances, address substance abuse issues, or learn how to have difficult conversations even if they haven’t communicated well in years.If you or someone you know is in the beginning stages of divorce and you want to stay OUT of court, this podcast episode will help guide you to make the choices that will allow you to do exactly that.About RosemarieRosemarie Ferrante is a family attorney with over 25 years of experience, specializing in non-adversarial divorce through mediation and collaborative divorce. She believes families deserve compassionate, private processes for restructuring their lives, processes that honor relationships, reduce conflict, and protect children. Her goal is to guide families through divorce with compassion, providing the tools and resources they need for a healthier transition.Rosemarie ensures that individuals have the emotional, financial, and legal support they need to move forward with confidence. She works with couples to create agreements that reflect fairness and respect, encouraging ongoing positive relationships between co-parents and their children. Connect with RosemarieYou can connect with Rosemarie on LinkedIn at Rosemarie Ferrante and on Facebook at Divorce Mediation Center of Fairfield County, LLC.  And follow Rosemarie on YouTube at Divorce Media Center CT and on Instagram at Divorce Media Center CT.  To find out more about Rosemarie’s work visit the website Divorce Mediation CT.Karen Covy is a Divorce Coach and Consultant, Lawyer, Author, and Speaker who is dedicated to helping people make the best decisions possible for themselves, their families, and their future - especially in stressful times. You can check out Karen's videos on YouTube.You can connect with Karen on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and on her own website at karencovy.com.

You've spent months negotiating who gets the house, only to discover that the mortgage you “thought” was assumable, isn’t. Now what? Stacey Ellison, a Certified Divorce Lending Professional with over 30 years in the mortgage industry, breaks down what really happens when one spouse wants to keep the house and assume the mortgage that’s currently in both names.Not every mortgage is assumable, and even those that are assumable usually require lender approval to do so. In other words, if your mortgage company agrees to let you assume the mortgage, you can. If they don’t, you can’t … and there’s not much you can do about it if you get denied. What’s more, if you assume your existing mortgage, you have to find a different way to buy out your spouse’s equity. You can’t take a dime out of the equity in your home AND assume your current mortgage.The good news is that keeping your low-interest rate mortgage isn't always the financial win it appears to be. The math around post-divorce tax filing changes can actually make refinancing at a higher interest rate more financially beneficial for you than keeping the mortgage you have. The bottom line is that mortgage assumptions are complicated. This podcast episode will help you cut through the fog so you can create a solid financial future.About Stacey EllisonStacey Ellison is a Certified Divorce Lending Professional and Divorce Mortgage Planner with over 30 years of experience in the mortgage industry. Since 2020, she has used her specialized training to help individuals navigate the complex financial decisions surrounding a home during a divorce. Working with other divorce professionals, Stacey provides strategic guidance on home equity, mortgage qualification, and housing goals. Her goal is to help divorcing homeowners make sound financial choices that support their long-term stability.Connect with StaceyYou can connect with Stacey on LinkedIn at Stacey Ellison and on Facebook at Stacey Ellison: Certified Divorce Lending Professional and follow her on Instagram at Divorce Mortgage Solutions.  To find out how to work with Stacey visit her website at Divorce Mortgage Solutions.Karen Covy is a Divorce Coach and Consultant, Lawyer, Author, and Speaker who is dedicated to helping people make the best decisions possible for themselves, their families, and their future - especially in stressful times. You can check out Karen's videos on YouTube.You can connect with Karen on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and on her own website at karencovy.com.

When her eight-year-old girl defined her parents' divorce as "good," Sarah Armstrong, VP of Global Marketing Operations at Google, knew she was on to something important. After her marriage dissolved, Sarah was determined to put her daughter first. She and her husband did that so well that now Sarah teaches others how to protect their kids in divorce, too.According to Sarah, the key to minimizing the damage to children in a divorce lies in parents developing a "compartmentalization muscle." (i.e. the ability to set aside your own triggers and emotional reactions for your child's sake.) In this podcast episode, Sarah shares powerful examples of taking the high road, from showing up together at parent-teacher conferences to the seemingly small but crucial decisions like ensuring kids don't feel like "professional travelers" shuttling belongings between homes.Sarah offers crucial mindset tips as well as simple, concrete strategies for developing communication that actually works: when to text, when to email, when to call, and how to batch topics so co-parenting stays clear without becoming constant. If your co-parent won’t meet you in the middle, Sarah outlines how to control the controllables, stop feeding the conflict, and keep the focus on your child’s stability. If you or anyone you know is divorcing with children, this podcast episode will give you the mindset shift you need and the practical guidance you crave to really protect your kids in divorce.About SarahSarah Armstrong has spent more than 25 years in global marketing and is now VP of Global Marketing Operations at Google. She is widely acknowledged as an industry leader in her area of expertise. She is also the author of The Mom’s Guide to a Good Divorce, appearing on more than 75 podcasts and other media. She lives in San Francisco.Connect with SarahYou can connect with Sarah on LinkedIn at Sarah Madden Armstrong. To learn more about Sarah visit her website at The Juggling Act or  The Mom's Guide to a Good Divorce.  You can reach out to Sarah at [email protected] Covy is a Divorce Coach and Consultant, Lawyer, Author, and Speaker who is dedicated to helping people make the best decisions possible for themselves, their families, and their future - especially in stressful times. You can check out Karen's videos on YouTube.You can connect with Karen on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and on her own website at karencovy.com.

You don’t lose money in divorce because you’re bad at math. You lose it because you make huge financial decisions while you’re emotionally overwhelmed and financially uneducated. In this podcast episode, Leah Hadley, an accredited financial counselor, CDFA, and mediator, pulls back the curtain on the hidden health insurance traps and tax law changes scheduled to take effect in 2026 that may dramatically change your post-divorce financial future.Leah explains how the tax and healthcare changes in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act may impact the amount you pay in taxes and, most significantly, in health insurance.For example, experts are predicting that healthcare costs could increase by $1,000 or more per month in 2026 for those on marketplace insurance, making healthcare unaffordable for a significant percentage of the population. (… and that’s just ONE of the changes coming down the pike!)On top of that, 2026 will bring tax law changes that, depending on your circumstances, can either make your financial future brighter or significantly more challenging.Whether you’re just thinking about divorce or you’re already in the thick of it, understanding the changes that Leah explains in this podcast episode will be critical for your financial future.About LeahLeah Hadley is an Accredited Financial Counselor®, Certified Divorce Financial Analyst®, and Mediator who helps women navigate major life transitions with confidence and clarity. She’s the founder of Intentional Divorce Solutions and Intentional Wealth Partners, where she blends financial expertise with empathy to empower clients to make values-aligned decisions about their money and their future. Through her Intentional Divorce Insights podcast and workshops, Leah inspires women to create financial and emotional stability after divorce and beyond.Connect with LeahYou can connect with Leah on LinkedIn at Leah Hadley and Facebook at Intentional Divorce Solutions.  You can follow Leah on Instagram at Intentional Divorce Solutions, on YouTube at Intentional Divorce Insights and on her Podcast Intentional Divorce Insights.  To find out more about Leah’s work, visit her website at Watch Her Thrive.Karen Covy is a Divorce Coach and Consultant, Lawyer, Author, and Speaker who is dedicated to helping people make the best decisions possible for themselves, their families, and their future - especially in stressful times. You can check out Karen's videos on YouTube.You can connect with Karen on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and on her own website at karencovy.com.

The sex stopped, the silence started, and now you're strangers sharing a bed. In this podcast episode, marriage, sex, and intimacy coach Irene Fehr unpacks why passion so often cools in long-term marriages - and how you can rekindle intimacy in your sexless marriage without pressure, blame, or performance anxiety. When Irene’s libido completely disappeared in her own marriage, she felt broken and alone. Her sexless marriage ultimately ended in divorce. Now Irene guides couples past the point where the passion in their relationship fades and helps them reconnect on every level, regardless of their age.In this deep conversation, Irene reveals why so many couples slide into sexless marriages or roommate dynamics and the three most common mistakes couples make when trying to “fix” their disappearing sex lives. Irene also tackles taboo realities, including mismatched desire, attraction changes, affairs, open marriages, and whether broken connection can genuinely be rebuilt.If you and your spouse have slipped into being just “roommates,” and you’re worried your marriage will either be eternally sexless, or end in divorce, listen to this podcast episode. Irene will show you how you can rekindle your passion (or rebuild it after an affair) so you can create the lasting intimacy you long for.About IreneIrene Fehr, MA, CPCC, SEP is a Marriage Sex & Intimacy Coach who helps heterosexual couples make love and sex work over the long term — including bringing passion back into a sexless relationship. Determined to dispel myths about why sex dies in a long-term relationship, her views have been featured globally in HuffPost, Cosmopolitan, Shape, Refinery29, ScaryMommy, EliteDaily, and Bustle. Through her coaching, she guides couples at different stages of the relationship via three core pathways — Rekindling Us (rediscovering passion at midlife), Rebuilding Us (transforming crisis into connection), and Creating Us (laying a strong foundation for lasting love and sexual intimacy for new couples) — always anchored in the principle of consciously and intentionally choosing “us.”Connect with IreneYou can connect with Irene on LinkedIn at Irene Fehr and on Facebook at Ignited Woman.  You can follow Irene on Instagram at Ignited Woman and on her YouTube channel at Ignited Woman.  To find out how to work with Irene visit her website at Ignited Woman.Links to articles mentioned in podcastWhy Your Partner Won’t Get Couples Counseling and How to Get Them On Board 3 Warning Signs of Divorce and How to Address Them Before It's Too Late Karen Covy is a Divorce Coach and Consultant, Lawyer, Author, and Speaker who is dedicated to helping people make the best decisions possible for themselves, their families, and their future - especially in stressful times. You can check out Karen's videos on YouTube.You can connect with Karen on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and on her own website at karencovy.com.

What if one decision could give you a 24% inflation‑adjusted raise to your retirement for life? Financial planner Eric Blake reveals the hidden complexities of Social Security that could cost you thousands—or help you maximize your retirement income if you know the rules. From understanding full retirement age to navigating spousal and survivor benefits, Eric breaks down the critical decisions that can make or break your financial security in retirement.The discussion covers essential Social Security strategies, including when to start claiming benefits, how working affects your payments, and the tax planning opportunities available at age 70. Eric explains the crucial differences between spousal benefits and survivor benefits and why understanding these distinctions matters for your financial future – especially if you’re divorced.Eric also clarifies the often-misunderstood rules around ex-spousal benefits, including the critical 10-year marriage requirement and how remarriage affects your eligibility to get Social Security benefits based on your ex’s status (… which you can claim without your ex-spouse's knowledge or consent!)Whether you're approaching retirement, recently divorced, or widowed, understanding these Social Security rules could mean the difference between financial struggle and financial security.About EricEric Blake is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® professional and the founder of Blake Wealth Management, specializing in helping women 55+ navigate retirement with clarity and confidence. With more than 25 years of experience, Eric provides strategies to optimize investments, create reliable income, and minimize taxes. Inspired by his mother and grandmother’s financial journeys, Eric has a personal passion for empowering women to take control of their financial futureConnect with EricYou can connect with Eric on LinkedIn at Eric Blake and on Facebook at Eric Blake. You can follow Eric on Instagram at Eric Blake, on YouTube at The Simply Retirement Podcast and on his podcast The Simply Retirement Podcast. To find out more about Eric’s work visit his website at Blake Wealth Management.Free ResourceGrab Eric’s Top 6 Social Security Guides and Checklists for Women - Ultimate Guide to Women's Social Security Success.Karen Covy is a Divorce Coach and Consultant, Lawyer, Author, and Speaker who is dedicated to helping people make the best decisions possible for themselves, their families, and their future - especially in stressful times. You can check out Karen's videos on YouTube.You can connect with Karen on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and on her own website at karencovy.com.

Some decisions feel impossible - until you shrink them to the next doable step. Accountability coach Jill Consor Beck shares how tiny, sustainable actions can help you make massive decisions and manage tasks (like divorce) that seem overwhelming at first. Through daily text check-ins, Jill guides her clients through the mental clutter that keeps them stuck - whether they're navigating divorce, launching a side hustle, or simply trying to carve out 15 minutes for themselves in an impossibly packed day.Jill’s accountability method breaks big, complicated “to-dos” into bite-sized moves you can finish in minutes: like reviewing two pages of a large agreement each day, instead of endlessly procrastinating over reading the whole thing at once. She invites clients to practice “strategic subtraction” (doing less to achieve more), to shift from extrinsic to intrinsic motivation, and to adopt a “survive and advance” mindset when life gets messy.If you can’t decide what to do because the decision you’re facing is too big, or if your divorce “to-do” list has you totally paralyzed, this is podcast episode  can help you unlock your own mind and finally move forward.About JillJill Consor Beck is an accountability coach who gets it—she spent 30 years in a pressure-cooker career, including 10 years in investment banking and 20 years in tech, running on Diet Coke and exhaustion while completely neglecting her own health. After hitting her breaking point and being diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, she discovered how to make small, sustainable changes that transformed her life without guilt or overwhelm. She now coaches clients via text, holding them accountable through daily nudges that put them on a path to living the life they're entitled to—whether that's getting physically healthy, making more time for mental health, taking steps toward financial well-being, or finally starting that side hustle they've been talking about. Her approach isn't about adding more to your packed schedule; it's about creating accountability for the small daily choices that add up to the life you actually want to live.Connect with JillYou can connect with Jill on LinkedIn at Go Long and on Facebook at Just Go Long.  You can follow Jill on X at JLC Beck, on Instagram at Just Go Long and on YouTube at Just Go Long Video. To learn more about Jill’s work visit her website at Go Long.Karen Covy is a Divorce Coach and Consultant, Lawyer, Author, and Speaker who is dedicated to helping people make the best decisions possible for themselves, their families, and their future - especially in stressful times. You can check out Karen's videos on YouTube.You can connect with Karen on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and on her own website at karencovy.com.

WARNING: This episode might be triggering for anyone who has experienced or is trying to heal from domestic violence, sexual abuse, financial abuse or any type of intimate partner abuse. Listener discretion is advised.What if the love you've been desperately seeking could actually kill you? Dana Diaz knows this reality firsthand. She spent nearly three decades in a marriage where the emotional abuse was so severe that her body began to shut down. What’s worse is that the seeds of her suffering were planted long before adulthood.Raised by a distant, neglectful mother and an abusive stepfather, Dana grew up believing that love and pain were inseparable. That early conditioning left her vulnerable to repeating the same cycle in marriage, a cycle that would take her decades to escape.When her marriage became abusive, she found herself accepting treatment she knew was wrong, because it was the only version of "love" she'd ever known. The consequences were devastating. Her body produced such astronomically high levels of stress hormones that her immune system turned against her, leaving her skeletal, oxygen-dependent, and facing organ failure in her early 40s.Through careful planning, hidden savings, and ultimately having the courage to choose herself, Dana escaped a situation that escalated to threats, gunshots, and a legal system that initially failed to protect her. Today, Dana is healthy, remarried, and dedicated to helping others recognize the signs of narcissistic abuse and reclaiming their lives. Her book Gasping for Air: The Stranglehold of Narcissistic Abuse chronicles her journey from victim to survivor to advocate, offering hope to anyone wondering if they deserve better.This episode, which was originally published in October, 2023, is being replayed here to support Domestic Violence Awareness Month.NOTE: If you or someone you know is experiencing intimate partner abuse, please contact the domestic violence hotline as soon as possible.National Domestic Violence Hotline 800-799-7233About DanaDana studied journalism and psychology at DePaul University. She has also had life-long experiences with narcissistic abuse. Thankfully her education gave her the ability to accurately express how narcissistic abuse creates confusion and conflict within victims. Today, Dana is a proud voice for fellow victims who are unable, afraid, or too ashamed to share their experiences. She strives to create awareness and understanding to ensure victims are given the support they need to both understand their situation and heal from it.Connect with DanaYou can learn more about Dana and her story on her website Dana S Diaz.   Dana also has a quiz to help you determine if you are in a relationship involving narcissistic abuse.You can follow Dana on Facebook at Dana S Diaz and Instagram at Dana S Diaz.  You can get your copy of Dana's best-selling book, "Gasping for Air:  The Stranglehold of Narcissistic Abuse" . Karen Covy is a Divorce Coach and Consultant, Lawyer, Author, and Speaker who is dedicated to helping people make the best decisions possible for themselves, their families, and their future - especially in stressful times. You can check out Karen's videos on YouTube.You can connect with Karen on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and on her own website at karencovy.com.

What happens when divorce strips away not just your marriage, but your very sense of who you are? Licensed clinical social worker Debra Alper reveals why so many people emerge from divorce feeling completely lost – especially when they’ve been in emotionally abusive marriages. Drawing from decades of experience, Debra explains the hidden process of self-erosion that starts long before the divorce papers are filed. The slow buildup of unmet needs, quiet compromises, and unconscious bargains that happens in emotionally abusive marriages often leaves you disconnected from the core of your being.When divorce happens, you find yourself not only grieving the relationship you lost, but also questioning your own identity. Healing from this kind of trauma isn’t just about getting through the legal or financial parts of divorce. It’s about reclaiming your voice and rebuilding your inner foundation.From navigating high-conflict divorce and the grief that comes with it, to treating post-divorce dating as a learning lab, you’ll discover how to move from reactivity to intentional choice. If you feel numb, overwhelmed, or unsure how to dream again, this podcast episode will give you permission to play, to daydream, and to let small wins stack into lasting change. It will show you how to heal, and how to love again.About DebraDebra Alper is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and owner of Life Transitions Counseling, PLLC, specializing in relational therapy, helping clients to identify and recover from emotional abuse and divorce process and recovery. She has worked extensively since 1999 with individual clients striving to experience deeper, more meaningful relationships, couples in the midst of marital crisis around infidelity and unhappy, lonely relationships, and clients struggling to get through the emotional and life changing hurdles of pre and post-divorce. She also works extensively with clients in emotionally abusive relationships helping them to understand the dynamics that keep them stuck and aiding them in moving out of toxic patterns.Connect with DebraYou can connect with Debra on LinkedIn at Debra Alper, LCSW and find out more about how to work with Debra by visiting her website at Life Transitions Chicago.Karen Covy is a Divorce Coach and Consultant, Lawyer, Author, and Speaker who is dedicated to helping people make the best decisions possible for themselves, their families, and their future - especially in stressful times. You can check out Karen's videos on YouTube.You can connect with Karen on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and on her own website at karencovy.com.

In this episode of Breakthrough Divorce Coaching, Anne, a divorcing mom caught in a three-year court battle, opens up about what it’s really like to navigate a high-conflict divorce when abuse, manipulation, and gaslighting don’t end just because your marriage does. Despite restraining orders and years of separation, Anne still finds herself fighting to protect her child’s safety and emotional well-being while trying to keep her own head above water. Her story exposes the toll that prolonged litigation and co-parenting with a toxic ex can take. It also illustrates the heartbreaking reality that the legal system isn’t built to solve these deeply human problems. Anne’s breakthrough comes when she starts to shift her focus from battling her ex to building her child’s resilience. Instead of pouring more money into a court system that can’t fix what’s broken, Anne explores how to empower her child with coping skills, emotional awareness, and a sense of safety that no court order can provide. What begins as a story about legal frustration turns into one of strength, insight, and breaking the cycle of abuse, showing that sometimes, the most powerful victory is raising a child who knows their own worth.Karen Covy is a Divorce Coach and Consultant, Lawyer, Author, and Speaker who is dedicated to helping people make the best decisions possible for themselves, their families, and their future - especially in stressful times. You can check out Karen's videos on YouTube.You can connect with Karen on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and on her own website at karencovy.com.