In this episode 262 you will learn the following:   Maria’s journey as a Step DaughterMaria’s journey as a Step ParentMaria’s journey adopting her Step DaughterWhat to look for in a potential spouse who has a biological child from another person  #stepchild #stepparent #adoption #podcast #divorcepodcast #amicabledivorce   Maria Natapov Bio   Stepparenting Expert and Trusted Advisor to Divorce Professionals, Financial Advisors, and Parenting Coaches Maria offers a caring and playful coaching approach where clients feel energetically held and empowered to joyfully and confidently blend their families.    Through her signature 4-step energy-focused process combined with Rapid Resolution modality, Maria helps families transition from chaos to harmony. She enables stepparents to strengthen their values, foster partner alignment, create trust with stepchildren, and enhance community with birth families by building on their existing skills, experiences, and strengths.    Maria has helped numerous blended families foster more harmonious family dynamics through her VIP Stepparenting Breakthrough support model and her podcast, Synergistic Stepparenting. To learn more about how to work with Maria, visit her website at SynergisticStepparenting.com.   Email: Maria@SynergisticStepparenting.com Phone number: (617) 419-0878 Website: www.SynergisticStepparenting.com Podcast: www.SynergisticStepparenting.com/podcast LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/synergisticstepparenting Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/maria.natapov

In this episode you will learn the following:   Communication is the key in exercising control in a divorceSpeaking up for yourself is an ongoing processHow to keep control in your co-parenting role  #communication #control #victim #co-parenting #divorce #mediation #childsupportservices #roleplay #toneofvoice #mediator #lawyer

In this episode, you will learn the following:   Your emotional attachment to money  The way in which money defines you; your money type  The way in which money affects you  Why your spouse may argue over having to pay child support  Why your spouse may resist dividing assets  How you can navigate around your spouse’s resistance to not paying child or spousal support, and resistance to dividing assets  #money #emotionalintelligence #wealth #ego #fear #gratitude #childsupport #spousalsupport #alimoney #trust #gratitude #attachmenttomoney #selfimage #moneytype #divisionofassets   Kaki Perdue Biography   Kaki Perdue is a CPA and a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™. She spent 12 years as a CPA in public accounting and 6 years as a Chief Financial Officer for a tech company before launching Look Both Ways Financial in 2023. Why financial planning? Kaki strives to meet clients where they are, with no judgment. Kaki is on a mission to teach her clients to feel safe, strong, and secure managing their own money. She embraces the “Less is More” approach to both life and financial planning.  Kaki prefers outdoor fun – hiking, skiing, gardening, & camping.   www.lookbothwaysfinancial.com kaki@lookbothwaysfin.com (24) Kaki Perdue, CPA, CFP® | LinkedIn Kaki is also the host of the Look Both Ways Financial podcast – available wherever you find podcasts.

In this episode you will learn the following:   You are not a failure because you’re getting divorced. Everything we experience in life is a learning lesson. It’s how we change as a result of our experiences that matters.  If you believe you are the one who eroded the marriage and divorce is now inevitable, you can change the emotional trajectory of the divorce by apologizing. Apologize without putting any blame on your spouse.  After the apology, change your behavior to whatever it needed to be in the first place.  If we look at life as a learning experience, and that our learning experiences are growth experiences, we will never be victims. Life will always be fair. Life will be fair because through our trials and tribulations we will accept them as tailor-made growth experiences that can challenge our will to live, test our ability to succeed, and drive us to accomplishments we never fathomed before we were tested.  Let’s make art out of what we might call failure. Let’s trust the universe that whatever we need for growth will come to us. Let’s align ourselves with truth so that we can see how to change a challenging situation to a new level of understanding of ourselves.  #failure #trust #personalgrowth #challenges #apologize #emotionaldivorce #divorce #podcast #divorcepodcast #blame #spouse #amicabledivorce #victim #victimize #success #life #fair #growth

In Episode258 you will learn the following:   Honesty is good for emotional, physical, mental, and spiritual health.  Divorce is fraught with dishonesty to mask fear, hurt, and possibly the knowledge that people have knowingly chosen to marry the wrong person.  Divorce can be the event that forces people to self-correct and turn fear into the most truthful and honest conversation they’ve ever had.  Once people have the courage to speak honestly, and the commitment to be authentically truthful, their lives are fueled by positive energy and they align with the universe in such a way that everything right for them comes to them.  #truth #honesty #authenticity #communication #truthfulness # divorce #marriage #fear #trust #hurt #emotionalhealth #mentalhealth #physicalhealth #spiritualhealth #dishonesty #mediation

In this episode you will learn the following:   In the world of divorce, communication - what you say and how you say it - either helps or hinders how you and your spouse get through the process.  The Three Key Elements in successfully handling threatening communication with your spouse:  Listen.  Listen without Interrupting.  Listen to Learn.Ask “Why?”Address his/her Reasons for the Threats  People threaten and become unreasonable because of Fear.  #divorce #podcast #divorcepodcast #communication #fear #anger #hurt #marriage #toneofvoice #words #attorney #divorceattorney #trust

In this episode you will learn the following:   Childhood development starts in the womb and is critically important until age 2 to set the foundation for who your baby can possibly be.  Your baby is communicating with you through every sound they make. The parents’ role is to communicate back.  The games parents play with their newborns each have a learning function to them.  It’s important that parents discuss what is priority to them in how they raise their child before having children.  Consistency provides a safe and secure environment for children. Each parent’s daily routine is important when there is co-parenting in two households due to divorce.  Don’t Compete! Each co-parent is different and each co-parent has value in what they can provide to their children.  The Oliiki app is designed to create daily interactions with children up to 24 months old that explain the developmental skill the baby is learning.  Oliiki is grounded in science.  UCL Institute of Education carried out a randomised controlled trial on the Oliiki app and found that parents using the Oliiki app after only 4 weeks had higher parental self-efficacy, (more confident in their parenting) compared to the active control trial. This is significant because high parental self-efficacy is connected with low post-natal depression, low infant mental health issues and high home learning environments.   #coparenting #parenting #education #play #communication #divorce #podcast #divorcepodcast  #amicabledivorce #prenatalcommunication #childhooddevelopment #Oliikiapp #therapy #consistency #newborns #familytherapy @ClareStead @JenJackson About Clare Stead Clare Stead, Creator and Founder of the Oliiki app is an e-Learning specialist, Education researcher and primary teacher. She is passionate about helping parents and careers build their baby’s brains from conception onwards, so the children reach their full potential and fly. Supporting parents early gives them the confidence to know they’re doing the very best for their baby, developing knowledge and skills in play-based learning for our youngest child helps them ensure they thrive, right from the start.    https://www.linkedin.com/in/clarestead-oliiki/ www.oliikiapp.com Download the Oliiki app here https://www.instagram.com/oliiki/ https://www.facebook.com/Oliiki   Oliiki app blurb   The Oliiki app is an app for parents and parents-to-be of babies in the first 1000 days, from conception to two to build their babies brain and spark their parenting confidence one play activity at a time.   Jen Jackson   Jen has accumulated 18 years of experience in the healthcare industry and currently serves as an ambassador for healthy youth development within managed care organizations. Her primary professional focus involves identifying innovative approaches to promote youth’s mental health and effectively communicating product differentiators that impact the health and well-being of members.   Jen initiated her career as a mental health therapist, providing services to children, teenagers, and families in various settings, including acute care, county mental health agency, and private practice. She holds a master’s degree in social work from Temple University and is a Licensed Clinical Social worker in the state of Utah. In 2005, Jen earned credentials as a Registered Play Therapist.   www.linkedin.com/in/jenniferannjackson jj.jenniferannjackson@gmail.com

In this episode of THE Amicable Divorce Expert you will learn the following:   What is behind the co-parenting relationship  Accepting that there are predispositions to challenges in intimate relationships  How healthy are any of us in our determinations for the right spouse for us  What is Fair and Unfair in relationship challenges that confront us  How to negotiate for money without using the word “fair”  Parental Alienation Advocates; Family Disappeared Podcast; 12 Step Support Group to help divorcing people self-reflect and assume responsibility for their part in the divorce  The importance of taking responsibility for their decisions from the choice to marry a certain person, to why the marriage isn’t working out  Communication is the center piece to a healthy relationship, even a divorced relationship  It takes two to form a productive relationship  Parenting without access to the children is a form of being engaged without disrupting the co-parenting relationship  To determine the Family System issues is one of the most important concerns in helping a co-parenting relationship  The Family Tree has roots in our growth  #communication #coparenting #parentalalienation #relationships #supportgroup #marriage #fair #unfair #FamilyDisappearedPodcast #parenting #guilt #familysystem #12stepprogram #acrimoniousdivorce #Dr.AmyBaker #petcustody #children #adultchildren #mediation #systemicchange   Lawrence Joss Biography   Founder and Director at PA-A.org   Lawrence Joss is a remarkable individual who has spent a lifetime dedicating himself to entrepreneurship, healing, and the service of others. With over three decades of successful entrepreneurship under his belt, Lawrence's journey has taken a profound turn towards supporting and empowering families facing complex challenges in their lives.   Familydisappeared@gmail.com www.PA-A.org   "I know what I do, but I don't know what I do does"-Solnit       - familydisappeared@gmail.com   - https://linktr.ee/lawrencejoss - Website:  https://parentalalienationanonymous.com/   - Linkedin - Lawrence Joss  - Family Disappeared Facebook Group

In this episode of THE Amicable Divorce Expert, you will learn the following:   The definitions of anger  Where anger fits in the seven Stages of Divorce Grief  Types of Anger  The importance of therapy and self-reflection to deal with anger.  The three types of Anger, and what is good anger.  Examples of using good anger to advance the divorce in a positive way.  The benefits of being able to control anger.  #anger #control #emotions #therapy #communication #communicationskills #communicationtechniques #divorcegrief #badanger #benefitsofanger #forgiveness #acceptance #self-reflection #self-awareness #mediation #lawyers #co-parenting

I. Mediation is an opportunity to compromise. To create a settlement that works for everyone. It’s not an argument.It’s not therapy.  II. People should know the law going into the mediation, and be prepared to work around the law for a compromise that benefits both spouses.   III. Typical Mediation Challenges and How to Handle Them Spousal Support (alimony) is a non-starter.Separate Property Money (inheritance or savings) became community property money.I will only accept a 50/50 custody.I’m not addicted to drugs. I just take them recreationally.I’ll do what I want on my co-parenting time.I’m going to be working less; I’ve been wanting to enjoy life more. (And there’s child and spousal support to pay.)If you leave me I’ll take you for everything.Lose my last name.I have no money.What to do when one or both spouses are angry, or one spouse is crying.  #mediation #angry #spousalsupport #alimony #childcustody #coparentingschedule #substanceabuse #inheritance #compromise #divorcesettlement #therapy #separateproperty #drugs #anger

In this episode you will learn the following:   Divorce will unhinge anyone. It’s how people deal with divorce that will benefit them in their divorce and after.  You need the professionals who you hire for the divorce to care about you.  You need your soon-to-be former spouse to care about you as a co-parent if you have minor children, and as a negotiator when you work on your divorce settlement.  How do you get those involved in the divorce to care about you?  What does it mean to care about yourself first?  How can the spouse who has been dominant in the marriage change so that that person shows themselves to be caring and concerned about the outcome of the divorce settlement?  How can the submissive spouse have a different voice negotiating the divorce settlement.  How do you cause those you’ve hired for the divorce to stop caring about you and only care about the money they’re making?  How self-care influences better relationships?  The importance of communication throughout the divorce process.  #selfcare #caring #relationships #communication #settlementagreement #negotiations #mediators #mediation #divorcecoach #therapists #coparenting #fear #podcast #divorcepodcast

Spousal Support Even though child support is considered more important than spousal support/alimony, spousal support is much harder to deal with both for the spouses and the legal professionals who provide service: Attorneys, Mediators, Divorce Coaches, Document Preparation person, Therapists.History of spousal supportNot gender-driven, while gender plays a huge role when the woman makes more than the man.Reasons for spousal supportHow to Prepare for the Mediation for spousal supportThe NegotiationPayor Spouse Offer and ResponsesRecipient Spouse Offer and Response  Child Support Monthly Amount vs Miscellaneous Expenses. The big wrinkle in child support is the time spent with the children by each parent. The time spent with each parent influences the monthly amount if your state uses a state approved calculator.Negotiable IssuesHow to Negotiate Don’t disparage the other spouseDon’t punish the other spouse by proposing a restrictive schedule if the other parent has been a dialed in parent.Make the discussion child-focused. Think of what it will be like for your child to move between houses.Come to the mediation to compromise. Otherwise, schedule a Hearing to have a Judge make decisions for you.Speak respectfully to your spouse. Lower your tone of voice. Don’t stress out; let your mediator do their job to balance the conversation.But don’t let yourself be controlled or bullied.  #spousalsupport #alimony #childsupport #childfocused #mediation #divorce #divorcesettlement #lawyer #mediator #specialmaster #divorcecoach #therapist #communication #negotiate #divorcenegotiation #payorspouse #recipientspouse

Episode 250: Can anyone Take the High Road in Divorce? w/Andy Heller, author, businessman   Define High Road as it pertains to divorce  What is the crucial hole in the self-help space that you saw with your own divorce, and wanted to fill with your book?  Topics that aren’t covered a lot in divorce podcasts, and are in your book Why shouldn’t one spouse speak badly about the other spouse, especially their mental health assessment of the other spouse?When to hold and when to fold in co-parenting?The two categories of advice giversInjecting Fun into the co-parenting even if you’re the disciplinarianHow much should you tell your children about the marriage and the reason for divorce?Outsourcing parental tasks to spend more quality time with the childrenReceiving gratitude and appreciation from your spouse in the co-parenting give-and-take (Taking the High Road) pg. 210Establishing Communication Guidelines (Bill Eddy)Hire a Special Master for on-going co-parenting decisions and issues that will come up after the divorce is final  #divorce #coparenting #author #podcast #amicabledivorce #divorcepodcast #specialmaster #therapist #childcustody #BillEddy #BIFF #outsource #children #marriage #communicationguidelines #advice #advicegivers #disciplinarian #mentalhealth   ANDY HELLER Biography   While navigating through his own divorce Andy read countless support books to help him navigate through the process.   While helpful, Andy identified a crucial hole in the self-help space for men and women navigating through divorce.  Andy’s book “Take the High Road, Divorce with Compassion for Yourself and Your Family” is his give back with a stated goal of making the divorce process easier for those who are considering or who are on the divorce path.    Several factors make his book truly groundbreaking.  First, Andy brings a businessman’s objective perspective into his counsel.  Andy interviewed attorneys, divorcees, therapists, co-parenting counselors, mediators, special masters, and others to arrive at advice and guidance from the leading industry experts.   Andy presents the guidance in 46 strategies, tools, and tips that armed with the experience and counsel of these experts, the readers can themselves, hopefully their former spouses, and most importantly their children land in a healthier place in the months and years after the conclusion of their divorces.   https://www.facebook.com/takethehighroadbook   https://www.instagram.com/andyhheller/   www.takethehighroaddivorce.com   andy@takethehighroaddivorce.com

I. Include everything in the marital settlement agreement and refer to the settlement agreement to avoid arguments   II. Avoid Arguments by Looking at all Aspects of the Co-Parenting Relationship a. Third Party to pick children up from school or after school event b. Pick-up Late Clause c. Asking for co-parent’s help in the other co-parent’s house d. When children don’t want to go to other parent’s house e. Attending children’s school events, sitting together f. Introducing new partner to other parent and the children g. Moving your address to another county, or more than 20 miles away from their school h. Provisional clause if the payor loses their job i.     Include a meeting with a Parenting Plan Coordinator, or a Divorce Coach, or a therapist    who specializes in the co-parent relationship for post-divorce issues  pg. 51-52    III. Have a joint bank account for children’s expenses a. Discuss all activities well ahead of when money has to be provided b. Keep a minimum balance in the account, and deposit money one month ahead of when needed, if possible c. Both parents’ names should be on the account   IV. How to Create a Good Co-Parenting Schedule a. Consider the children’s school and activity schedule first, and then look at how the parents can support that schedule b. Do not insist on 50/50 time share if you can’t spend time with your child c. Make child support money secondary to the relationship you’re building with your child. In a mediated settlement agreement you can choose however you want to construct the financial support of your children.   V. Addiction and Behavioral Issues a. Legal advice b. Speak up; don’t avoid this discussion just to avoid an argument or to get the divorce finalized c. Put provisions in place if the substance-challenged spouse waivers on staying clean

In this episode of THE Amicable Divorce Expert you will learn the following:   Define Terms under the label of Gifted High-functioning Learning DisabledGiftedNeorodivergentDown SyndromeAutisticRetardedDyslexicCommunication How do children and their parents communicate the children’s needsSocializing within a Gifted and Neurodivergent CommunityHow do divorcing spouses co-parent if one of the parents is resistant to their child’s needs and diagnosis  #giftedchildren #neurodivergent #coparents #coparenting #learningdisabled #dyslexic @autistic #downsyndrome #communication #socialskills #education #legalcustody #diagnosis #resistance #school #RainMan #savant #catalogueing #testing #genetic     Biography for Meghan Bonde   Meghan Bonde is a Tedx speaker, neurodiversity specialist, founder of Team Neurodivergent, and an award-winning speech language pathologist who proudly identifies as Gifted and Neurodivergent.  She provides coaching, consulting, courses, and workshops to empower Neurodivergent people to leverage their many strengths and thrive emotionally.  Meghan is a passionate dancer, writer, reader, artist, and activist, finding inspiration in nature and her remarkable, Neurodivergent family. www.teamneurodivergent.com https://www.facebook.com/teamneurodivergent https://www.linkedin.com/company/tngifted

In this episode of THE Amicable Divorce Expert, you will learn the following:   That emotions will run rampant throughout the divorce.  How to manage those emotions.  The benefit in managing those emotions.  The timing of dealing with those emotions.  The importance of grieving before filing  The 7 stages of divorce grief, and the significance of Forgiveness.  #emotions #grieving #managingemotions #timing #griefstages #forgiveness #filing #emotionaldivorce #legaldivorce #acceptance

In this episode of THE Amicable Divorce Expert podcast, you will learn the following:   Different states have different laws.  New California law for pet custody: Best Interests of the Pets  https://minellalawgroup.com/blog/how-the-new-pet-custody-law-works-in-california/   How to Mediate Pet Custody Prior ownershipAttachment between animal and pet ownerLiving arrangements post-divorceDividing animals post-divorceLong Distance careAbility of each pet owner to be a responsible pet parentThe financial capability of the pet parents to provide proper care  Words of Advice  #animals #pets #petcustody #petinsurance #petcare #animal laws #divorce #legalseparation #animaltrainers #mediation #grieving #animalgrieving #animalcare #bestinterestsoftheanimals #longdistancecare

In this Episode of THE Amicable Divorce Expert, you will learn the following:   Why Fear is part of Divorce  The importance of being honest with all aspects of the divorce  An easy way of researching assets and debts to verify accuracy in your spouse’s Discovery  Why lying on Income Tax Reports will come back to haunt you  How Honesty in the financial part of the divorce will benefit everyone  How being Honest with yourself can benefit the divorce, the co-parenting relationship, and your emotional and physical health  #honesty #lie #lying #incometaxreport #childsupport #spousalsupport #alimony #health #divorce #lawyers #forensicaccontants #fear

In this episode of THE Amicable Divorce Expert, you will learn the following:   How do you know if you married the wrong person?  The age at which we marry matters.  When do you call it quits?  Is the idea of being a young parent the same now as it used to be years ago?  When should a married couple have children?  How should a married couple be aligned before becoming parents?  Should one spouse share with their spouse that they may have made a wrong decision to marry?  When you meet someone who fulfills you differently than your husband or wife, what do you do if the marriage has seemed to be fine until that point?  How do you get out of the victim role in a lopsided power dynamic?  Do you know who you are and what you bring to the relationship?  How to reach Forgiveness?  #marriage #forgiveness #stagesofgrief #co-parenting #divorce #parents #growth #hope #victim #YinYang #marriagecoach #relationship #relationshipexpert #powerdynamic #psychotherapist #podcast #divorcepodcast #love #happiness @CoachCarrieCohen @JudithWeigle @TheAmicableDivorceExpert   CARRIE COHEN Biography   As a Licensed Psychotherapist for 25 years, a Marriage Coach and Relationship Expert, Carrie Cohen helps couples go from “I want a divorce” to “I didn’t know I could love this deeply.”    Working with clients all over the globe, Carrie has helped over 400 couples heal the stress and trauma that have eroded their relationship, revitalize their love for one another and create a marriage that lasts a lifetime.    In addition to Carrie’s 15+ years of post-graduate training specifically in couples therapy, her approach to her work is holistically based.  Carrie is also trained in Polyvagal Therapy, certified in Clinical Hypnotherapy, is a Rapid Transformational Therapy Practitioner, an Integrative Health Coach and a Certified Nutrition Coach.     Email: cc@carriecohencoaching Website: www.carriecohencoaching.com IG: @carriecohencoaching https://instagram.com/carriecohencoaching?igshid=OGQ5ZDc2ODk2ZA== LI: Carrie Cohen https://www.linkedin.com/in/carriecohencoaching

Forgiveness is one of the 7 Stages of Divorce Grief It’s the last stage and the most important one in order to release anger, bring serenity, and become whole again. “Through the act of forgiveness, we cleanse ourselves  of the pain and anger that kept us stuck in the past,” Dan Mager, Therapist, in an article in Psychology Today.Forgiveness is for the one forgiving. People mistaken forgiveness as an a get-out-of-jail free card that releases the other person from the responsibility of their actions. That’s not it at all. Forgiveness releases the forgiver from the shackles of intense hatred, toxic feelings, and unending bad feelings about the perpetrator of those feelings. These feelings can last years after the divorce is final.You’re not done grieving until you’ve forgiven your ex-spouse.Read the Harvard articleMayo Clinic articleThere are also health benefits attributed to  forgiveness, both Mental and Physical. Let’s explore those benefits. Mental Health Benefits You are no longer angryYou are no longer depressedYou feel joy againHope enters your heartYour mind is free to be positiveYour spirit singsYou feel like loving againPhysical Health Benefits (HopkinsMedicine.org) Lowers the risk of heart attackLowers blood pressureImproves cholesterol levelsAllow for better sleepLowers blood pressureBetter immune responseFrom Kaitlin Sullivan for Everyday Health (read)World Forgiveness Day by Rob Horel (read)Bottom Line Forgiveness isn’t a competition. It doesn’t matter who forgives each other first. It matters that you forgive as soon as you’re able so that you can release the toxicity of anger and become a healthy, happy person again.If you’re co-parenting after a divorce, I think forgiveness has to be top of your list.But here’s the hardest part of forgiveness, honesty.  Maybe you were wrong, too. Consider that you may have known you weren’t making the right decision to marry you’re now soon-to-be former spouse. That’s happened a lot. I watch people in mediation negotiating out of anger, and then eventually tell me, in confidence, that they knew this wasn’t the absolute right person for them, and married them anyway. And now they want to blame their spouse for being who they are. Hmmmm…a tiger doesn’t change their stripes.