Divorce Happens

Nobody tells you that divorce can feel like a second puberty. Suddenly, after years of being someone's partner — someone's spouse — you're standing in your own skin again, sometimes for the first time in decades, asking a question you were never really taught to answer: What actually brings me pleasure? In this illuminating, permission-giving episode of Divorce Happens, host Olivia Howell sits dow...

There is a dimension of divorce that nobody warned you about — one that has nothing to do with lawyers or custody schedules or dividing furniture. It goes much deeper than any of that. Divorce goes to the heart of your identity. And when the role you built your life around — wife, partner, the person in that marriage — is suddenly gone, the question that surfaces isn't just "what do I do now?" It'...

You've made the decision. Maybe it took months — maybe it took years. But you've finally arrived at it, and now your brain is telling you: move fast, do something, protect yourself. And that instinct, as understandable as it is, might be the very thing that costs you the most. In this indispensable episode of Divorce Happens, host Olivia Howell sits down with Lyerly Spongberg — certified ADR divor...

You were so close. The kids were finally sleeping through the night. You'd found a rhythm at work. You were starting to feel like yourself again — like balance was actually possible. And then divorce happened. And the scales didn't just tip — they crashed. If that sentence made you exhale, this episode is for you. In this conversation on Divorce Happens, host Olivia Howell sits down with Amy Pierr...

Nobody tells you that pregnancy can be the moment everything becomes clear. Not the nursery colors or the baby name — but something far bigger, far more quietly devastating: the realization that the relationship you're in is not the one you want to raise a child inside of. In this profound episode of Divorce Happens, host Olivia Howell sits down with Dr. Gertrude Lyons — author, life coach, podcas...

When you're going through a divorce, the world doesn't stop spinning — but it can feel like everyone else's resources did. Therapy is expensive. Childcare is exhausting and often unaffordable. And the practical realities of building a new life on one income, while co-parenting, grieving, and showing up for your kids, can feel completely overwhelming. In this episode of Divorce Happens, host Olivia...

Nobody hands you a rulebook when your marriage ends and you suddenly have to figure out how to parent from two separate addresses. The paperwork gets signed, the boxes get packed, the kids start splitting their weeks between two homes — and then it's Tuesday night and someone's crying over forgotten homework, and you realize the hardest part was never the divorce itself. It was everything that com...

What if you didn’t have to figure out divorce alone? In this episode of Divorce Happens , we’re talking about one of the most supportive (and most underutilized) resources available to you: a free 15-minute Divorce Resource Consult with Olivia Howell, co-founder of Fresh Starts Registry. Whether you’re quietly wondering if divorce might be the right next step, actively navigating the process, or r...

In this final episode of Divorce 101 A to Z from the Divorce Happens podcast, Olivia Howell explores zero-sum thinking , a mindset that frames divorce as a win-lose battle instead of a restructuring of life and family systems. Brought to you by the letter Z and the number 0 , this episode explains why divorce does not need a scoreboard — and how releasing zero-sum beliefs can reduce conflict, guil...

In this Divorce 101 A to Z episode of Divorce Happens , Olivia Howell explains your best interest standard , the legal principle courts use when making custody and parenting decisions in divorce cases. Brought to you by the letter Y and the number 3 , this episode breaks down the three core areas judges evaluate: a child’s needs, safety, and stability. Listeners learn what the best interest standa...

In this Divorce 101 A to Z episode of Divorce Happens , Olivia Howell explains the meaning of ex parte , a critical legal concept used in emergency or safety-related situations during divorce or custody cases. Brought to you by the letter X and the number 1 , this episode explores how ex parte requests work, why they are used when immediate protection is required, and what happens after an ex part...

In this Divorce 101 A to Z episode of Divorce Happens , Olivia Howell explores the emotional side of divorce that most people never talk about: the withdrawal of emotion . Brought to you by the letter W and the number 2 , this episode explains why most divorces have two endings — the emotional ending and the legal ending — and how those timelines often unfold at different speeds for each partner....

In this Divorce 101 A to Z episode of Divorce Happens , Olivia Howell explains the meaning of visitation — a traditional legal term that describes when and how a child spends time with each parent after separation or divorce. Brought to you by the letter V and the number 7 , this episode highlights why most parenting schedules center around a seven-day structure and explores the most common visita...

In today’s Divorce 101 A to Z episode of Divorce Happens , Olivia Howell breaks down one of the most essential pillars of divorce education: understanding your rights . Brought to you by the letter U and the number 5 , this episode outlines the five fundamental rights every person should know when entering the divorce process, including the right to safety, financial transparency, marital assets,...

In today’s Divorce 101 A to Z episode of Divorce Happens , Olivia Howell breaks down the concept of a divorce timeline — one of the most grounding and helpful tools in the divorce process. Brought to you by the letter T and the number 6 , this episode walks listeners through the six common stages of divorce: consideration, preparation, filing, negotiation, resolution, and implementation. Listeners...

In this Divorce 101 A to Z episode of Divorce Happens , Olivia Howell breaks down what a divorce settlement is and why it is the foundation of every finalized divorce. Brought to you by the letter S and the number 4 , this episode walks listeners through the four key components of a settlement: parenting arrangements, support obligations, asset division, and debt division. Listeners learn how sett...

In today’s Divorce 101 A to Z episode of Divorce Happens , Olivia Howell breaks down one of the most important concepts in any divorce: resolution . Brought to you by the letter R and the number 3 , this episode explains the three primary paths to resolution — agreement, mediation, and litigation — and helps listeners understand how their divorce might reach its final outcome. Listeners learn what...

In this Divorce 101 A to Z episode of Divorce Happens , Olivia Howell explains what a QDRO (Qualified Domestic Relations Order) is and why it’s essential for dividing certain retirement accounts during divorce. Brought to you by the letter Q and the number 1 , this episode highlights the one category of assets that require a QDRO — qualified employer-sponsored retirement plans. Listeners learn how...

Nobody walks into their marriage imagining they’ll one day be parsing text messages from a couch, wondering why their ex won’t respond, trying to figure out how to get through a conversation without it escalating into the same exhausting fight they’ve had a hundred times before. But here you are. And if you’ve ever told yourself “I don’t want this to be a high-conflict divorce” while feeling compl...

Some divorces end with two people who simply grew apart. And then there are divorces that come wrapped in chaos, denial, danger, and a particular kind of loneliness that is almost impossible to explain to anyone who hasn't lived it — the loneliness of loving someone whose addiction has made them a stranger. In this raw and deeply important episode of Divorce Happens, host Olivia Howell sits down w...

If you've ever sat in your driveway and just... not been able to go inside, if you've spent years managing someone else's emotions just to keep the peace, if you've wondered whether you were losing your mind — this episode was made for you. In this raw, practical, and deeply validating conversation on Divorce Happens, host Olivia Howell sits down with Lisa Happ : former therapist, certified divorc...

You know that feeling — the text comes in from your ex, your stomach drops, and before you've even finished reading it your fingers are flying. You're typing something you'll probably regret, something that's going to make everything worse, and you know it even as you're doing it. If that sounds familiar, this episode of Divorce Happens was made for you. Host Olivia Howell sits down with Lyerly Sp...

If you've ever stared at a text from your abusive ex — cortisol flooding your body, hands shaking, entire day derailed before it even started — then this episode was made for you. In this powerful conversation on Divorce Happens, host Olivia Howell sits down with Rina Groeneveld , a certified high conflict divorce coach, mother of four, professional translator, and author of the forthcoming book A...

In this cozy, candid book-club episode of Divorce Happens , Olivia sits down with therapist, writer, and nationally recognized divorce expert Oona Metz to talk through the stories inside her new book, Unhitched: The Essential Divorce Guide for Women . Rather than focusing on legal strategy or paperwork, they linger on the moments that feel almost too familiar: the late-night Google searches, the i...

When divorce hits, it’s rarely just paperwork—it’s the moment your whole life starts to tilt. In this episode of Divorce Happens , host Olivia Howell sits down with trauma-informed divorce, co-parenting, and chronic health coach Chavisa Horemans , founder of The Mother Corp – Trauma-Informed Empowerment Coaching. Based in Vancouver and working remotely with women around the world, Chavisa brings l...