We Chat Divorce Podcast

Hosted by My Divorce Solution

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232

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Nov 2026

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About the show

Divorce is emotional — but it’s also financial. We Chat Divorce helps you understand both. Join hosts Karen Chellew and Catherine Shanahan, co-founders of My Divorce Solution, for expert divorce insights, real stories, and proven financial strategies that turn fear into focus, focus into knowledge, and knowledge into power. Whether you’re just considering divorce, in the middle of it, or rebuilding after, you’ll learn how to protect your finances, make informed decisions, and move forward with clarity and confidence. The #1 podcast for financial divorce preparation, empowerment, and real talk about money, marriage, and moving on.

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60 recent

November 12, 202617 min

221. Can You Use ChatGPT for Divorce Advice? What to Verify Before You Trust an AI Answer

It’s 2 a.m. You can’t sleep, and you have a question about your divorce. A chatbot gives you a confident answer in seconds. What did it actually know about your situation? On this episode of We Chat Divorce, My Divorce Solution co-founders Karen Chellew, Legal Liaison, and Catherine Shanahan, CDFA, discuss how people are using ChatGPT and other AI tools during divorce. Drawing on reporting from The Wall Street Journal, they look at what can happen when a chatbot gives an answer without the financial records, case history, or legal context a professional would need. They discuss a business owner who asked AI whether his spousal support payments could be reduced, a father who relied on a general custody rule without understanding an exception, and how reviewing AI-generated drafts can add to legal costs. They also share practical ways to use AI to learn unfamiliar terms, organize your thoughts, and prepare better questions for your divorce team. In this episode Why a change in what you take home from a business may need more explanation than a chatbot can provide. How a general legal answer can miss details that matter in your case. Why AI-generated revisions and filings can create more work for your attorney. What to bring to your divorce team when an AI answer shapes your expectations. Free listener gift — Before You Act on AI Divorce Advice Use this two-page worksheet to write down what you asked, identify what the chatbot may have missed, and turn its answer into a question your attorney or divorce financial specialist can help you work through. Download the free listener worksheet Article discussed Dalvin Brown, The Wall Street Journal, November 2026. People Are Using AI for Divorce Advice and It’s Driving Their Lawyers Crazy Get clear on what your financial records show The MDS Financial Portrait™ combines our proprietary online portal with a dedicated team to organize and verify your assets, debts, income, and spending. It helps you identify missing information and see how different settlement options could affect you. Start with the free assessment at My Divorce Solution. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

November 5, 202627 min

220. 10 Steps to Financial Clarity in Divorce | Divorce Clarity Guide | Part 3

Part 3 of 3: The Divorce Clarity Guide Series You know financial preparation matters—but where do you begin? In the final episode of this three-part We Chat Divorce series, My Divorce Solution co-founders Karen Chellew and Catherine Shanahan walk through 10 practical steps to help you understand your finances before negotiating or signing an agreement. After exploring 10 costly mistakes in Part 1 and 10 insights from experience in Part 2, Karen and Catherine bring those lessons together into an actionable framework. For each step, they share questions they ask when building an MDS Financial Portrait™, MDS’s proprietary financial divorce planning tool. Through examples involving retirement accounts, business interests, debt, and the family home, they explain how supporting documents and unresolved questions connect to real decisions. The 10 steps: List all known assets and accounts. Identify debts and obligations. Understand your current monthly expenses. Estimate future living costs. Gather your financial documents. Clarify income sources for both spouses. Identify unknowns and gaps. Ask questions, including uncomfortable ones. Model potential settlement scenarios. Bring structured financial guidance into your legal decisions. You’ll also learn: Why each account value needs a source and a date. How documenting missing records helps keep unanswered questions visible. Why business revenue and tax documents may not tell the full income story. How keeping the house can affect available cash and retirement security. Why an organized financial record helps your attorney, mediator, and other professionals work from the same information. Catch up on the series: Part 1 — 10 Costly Divorce Mistakes to Avoid Part 2 — 10 Insights for Better Divorce Financial Decisions Created to mark MDS’s 10-year anniversary, this series follows The Divorce Clarity Guide: What to Know Before You Decide. Download the free Divorce Clarity Guide and choose one unfinished step to begin this week. Learn more about the MDS Financial Portrait™ at MyDivorceSolution.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

November 5, 202638 min

218. 10 Insights for Better Divorce Financial Decisions | Divorce Clarity Guide | Part 2

Part 2 of 3: The Divorce Clarity Guide Series An amicable divorce can still leave important financial questions unanswered. Having documents doesn’t necessarily mean you understand them. And a decision made early in the process can affect your life years later. In the second episode of this three-part We Chat Divorce series, Karen Chellew and Catherine Shanahan, co-founders of My Divorce Solution, share 10 insights from a decade of helping people prepare financially for divorce. Building on Part 1’s discussion of costly mistakes, this conversation explores how preparation, financial discovery, and transparency help people participate more confidently in their decisions. Karen and Catherine also share personal experiences from their own divorces and lessons from building MDS together. In this episode: How financial clarity can reduce conflict and make conversations more productive. Why early decisions deserve a careful look at their lasting consequences. How financial discovery supports informed participation. Why cooperation still requires verification and financial understanding. How emotions influence choices about the house, retirement, and other assets. Why small details—including unresolved mortgage obligations—can have significant consequences. How comparing settlement scenarios helps you understand what you may be giving up. Why getting financially prepared does not commit you to divorce. You don’t need every answer today. You deserve to understand the information shaping your next decision. Explore the full series: Part 1 — 10 Costly Divorce Mistakes to Avoid: Recognize the assumptions, pressures, and overlooked details that can affect your financial future. Up next, Part 3 — 10 Steps to Financial Clarity in Divorce: Put these lessons into practice with a structured approach to financial preparation. This series marks MDS’s 10-year anniversary and follows The Divorce Clarity Guide: What to Know Before You Decide. Download the free Divorce Clarity Guide to explore all 10 mistakes, 10 insights, and 10 steps. Learn more about the MDS Financial Portrait™ at MyDivorceSolution.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

November 5, 202633 min

216. 10 Costly Divorce Mistakes to Avoid | Divorce Clarity Guide | Part 1

Part 1 of 3: The Divorce Clarity Guide Series Before you agree to a divorce settlement, do you understand what the numbers—and the decisions behind them—could mean for your future? In the opening episode of this three-part We Chat Divorce series, My Divorce Solution co-founders Karen Chellew and Catherine Shanahan explore 10 costly financial mistakes people make during divorce and the questions that can help you recognize them. Created to mark MDS’s 10-year anniversary, this series follows The Divorce Clarity Guide: What to Know Before You Decide, bringing together mistakes to avoid, insights from experience, and practical steps toward financial clarity. Karen and Catherine also share why their own divorces inspired the MDS Financial Portrait™, MDS’s proprietary financial divorce planning tool. In this episode: Why financial understanding matters before negotiations and settlement decisions. How undocumented balances and assumptions can affect the options you consider. Why understanding an agreement includes knowing how its terms will work in practice. How retirement, taxes, and available cash can make similarly valued assets very different. Why future household expenses deserve attention before you settle. How urgency, outside advice, and discomfort with questions can influence decisions. Whether you’re considering divorce or reviewing a proposal, begin with this question: What financial information do I need before making this decision? Continue the series: Part 2 — 10 Insights for Better Divorce Financial Decisions: What a decade of helping families has taught Karen and Catherine about preparation, transparency, and informed choices. Part 3 — 10 Steps to Financial Clarity in Divorce: A practical framework for organizing your information and evaluating your options. Download the free Divorce Clarity Guide and follow along throughout the series. https://mydivorcesolution.com/the-divorce-clarity-guide/ Learn more about the MDS Financial Portrait™ at MyDivorceSolution.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

October 28, 202645 min

219. Working With Your Divorce Attorney: Questions, Costs, and Expectations with Attorney Joshua H. Northam

What should you expect from your divorce attorney—and what questions can help you understand the strategy, costs, and decisions ahead? Family law attorney Josh Northam joins Karen Chellew, Legal Liaison, and Catherine Shanahan, Certified Divorce Financial Analyst, to explore how to build a productive working relationship with your attorney. Drawing on his Texas practice, Josh discusses the difference between aggressive and effective representation, why clear expectations matter, and how to weigh what is legally possible against what may be practical for your circumstances. In This Episode:• Questions to ask about your attorney’s approach and proposed strategy• Weighing the cost of pursuing a dispute against its potential benefit• Identifying missing financial information before making decisions• Texas spousal maintenance and property division considerations• Understanding tradeoffs involving the house, cash, and retirement assets• How financial preparation can support your work with your attorney You deserve to understand your options and participate in the decisions that shape your future. Download the free episode companion checklist, Working With Your Divorce Attorney: Questions, Costs, and Expectations. Use it to organize your priorities, identify financial questions, and prepare for your next attorney conversation. Get the checklist: https://mydivorcesolution.com/working-with-your-divorce-attorney/ Guest: Josh Northam, family law attorney at Shackelford, McKinley & Norton, LLP, Dallas, Texas. Legal examples reflect a Texas practice; laws and outcomes vary by state and individual circumstances. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

October 14, 202639 min

217. Trauma Bonds and Financial Control: Rebuilding Self-Trust with Dr. Nadine Macaluso

Why can leaving an abusive relationship feel so difficult—even when you know you have been hurt? Dr. Nadine Macaluso returns to We Chat Divorce to join Karen Chellew, Legal Liaison, and Catherine Shanahan, Certified Divorce Financial Analyst, for a conversation about trauma bonds, coercive control, and rebuilding trust in yourself. Drawing on her lived experience and work as a therapist, Dr. Nadine explores why the label “codependent” can leave abuse survivors feeling responsible for someone else’s behavior. She discusses how control can create emotional and financial dependence, why someone may miss a harmful partner after leaving, and why relationship chaos can feel familiar. In This Episode:• Why Dr. Nadine challenges the codependency label in abusive relationships• How coercive control can shape financial dependence and self-doubt• Why leaving does not always bring immediate emotional relief• The role of self-care, connection, and support in recovery• How financial clarity can support more informed decisions Karen and Catherine also discuss the financial consequences of leaving the workforce and the importance of understanding your finances before making decisions. The MDS Financial Portrait™ is a verified financial planning tool and deliverable, supported by expert analysis, that helps you understand your financial picture and evaluate options with your attorney or mediator. Seeking clarity does not require committing to divorce. Explore Dr. Nadine’s resources, including the trauma bond assessment discussed in this episode: https://drnae.com This conversation is educational and does not replace individualized therapeutic, legal, or financial guidance. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

September 30, 202641 min

215. Blended Families and Divorce: Protecting Your Emotional and Financial Future

In a blended family, an argument about parenting or money can carry deeper questions: Do I belong here? Does my voice matter? Are we still on the same team? Licensed marriage and family therapist and blended family expert April Eldemire joins Karen Chellew and Catherine Shanahan to explore the emotional challenges of stepfamily life—and how those challenges can influence financial decisions before, during, and after divorce. Drawing on their professional expertise and personal experiences, April, Karen, and Catherine discuss the isolation stepparents can feel, the attachment patterns that continue after a marriage ends, and the pressure to accept financial arrangements just to keep the peace. In this episode, we discuss: Why love alone doesn’t resolve competing loyalties, parenting differences, or unclear family roles. The importance of building a bond with stepchildren before taking on discipline. Why seeking reassurance from an ex can keep painful relationship patterns going. How promises like “I’ll always take care of you” can shape settlement decisions. Why understanding a partner’s parenting plan and financial obligations matters when blending households. How emotional support and verified financial information can help you make decisions with greater confidence. Whether you’re building a blended family or questioning what comes next, you deserve to understand your role, your options, and your financial future. Connect with April: Couples Thrive Explore the MDS Financial Portrait™: Understand your financial picture and the potential impact of different decisions before you negotiate or sign. Visit My Divorce Solution. Download your free listener guide: Beneath the Argument: A Guide for Blended Families and Step-Parents. Explore what may be driving the conflict and take your next step toward greater emotional and financial clarity. https://mydivorcesolution.com/blended-family-conflict-whats-beneath-the-argument/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

September 24, 202627 min

214. Divorce Settlement Calculator: Can You Actually Afford to Keep the House?

A settlement can look equal on paper and still leave you wondering how you’ll pay the bills. In this episode of We Chat Divorce, Karen Chellew and Catherine Shanahan walk through a hypothetical couple’s proposed division of $2 million in assets. Each person receives $1 million—but one keeps the house while the other receives most of the retirement savings. What will each need to live on after the divorce? Karen and Catherine discuss the costs of keeping a home, the difference between asset value and available cash, and why a monthly budget matters before you agree to a settlement. They also look at how bills paid during the divorce can obscure your actual expenses, and why refinancing plans and retirement accounts deserve a closer look. Before you sign, ask: Can I cover my everyday expenses, handle an unexpected cost, and still plan for the future? Download the episode handout: https://mydivorcesolution.com/divorce-settlement-can-you-afford-to-keep-the-house-after-divorce/ Learn how the MDS Financial Portrait™ helps you understand the financial trade-offs in a proposed settlement at MyDivorceSolution.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

September 16, 202631 min

213. Trauma Bonds, Financial Control & Divorce: Reclaiming Your Power

Why is it so hard to leave a relationship that hurts you—and how can you begin preparing when fear and financial uncertainty keep you stuck? Before Dr. Nadine Macaluso returns to We Chat Divorce for a new conversation, we’re revisiting our interview from last year about trauma bonds, financial control, and rebuilding trust in yourself. A therapist, author of Run Like Hell, and former wife of “The Wolf of Wall Street,” Dr. Nadine brings both personal experience and professional insight to this conversation with Catherine Shanahan and Karen Chellew. Together, they explore how controlling relationships can affect your emotional well-being, your access to money, and your confidence in making decisions. In this episode, we discuss: What a trauma bond is and why alternating affection and cruelty can make leaving feel so difficult. How financial control can appear as caretaking, including encouragement to stop working or pressure to sign documents you don’t understand. Why gathering financial information can feel overwhelming—and why each step deserves recognition. How patterns of appeasing others can follow you into conversations with your divorce team. The connection between emotional support, financial preparation, and greater confidence. Rebuilding trust in yourself and finding people who understand what you’re experiencing. Whether you’re considering divorce or trying to understand your relationship, this conversation offers a place to begin. You don’t have to have every answer today, and you don’t have to navigate the uncertainty alone. Stay tuned for our upcoming conversation with Dr. Nadine. Free Listener Download Ready to make sense of what you've read? Download our free companion guide, You're Not Crazy: A Guide to Recognizing Trauma Bonds and Reclaiming Your Clarity — inspired by our conversation with Dr. Nadine Macaluso. Inside, you'll find the episode's key lessons, a grounding exercise straight from Dr. Nadine, and reflection prompts to help you apply it all to your own life. Explore divorce financial planning and free resources at ⁠My Divorce Solution⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

September 9, 202628 min

212. Dividing a Business in Divorce: What the Valuation Doesn’t Tell You

When a business is part of a divorce, determining what it is worth is only the beginning. The company may also be a marital asset, a source of household income and the employer paying expenses for the family. Each of these roles can affect the financial outcome for both spouses. In this episode of We Chat Divorce, Karen Chellew and Catherine Shanahan explain why business decisions should never be made from a valuation number alone. They explore the questions that reveal what is actually included in a valuation—from intellectual property, real estate and goodwill to personal expenses paid through the company. Karen and Catherine also discuss why two qualified experts can reach very different conclusions. The difference may not be the math, but the assumptions behind it—including valuation dates, reasonable compensation, normalized expenses, growth projections and goodwill. Understanding those assumptions can help you ask focused questions and avoid unnecessary professional fees. You’ll also learn why cash flow matters when one spouse keeps the business, how personal expenses paid by the company affect post-divorce budgets and what to consider before accepting a multiyear buyout. Karen shares her own experience of remaining legally connected to a former spouse’s company—and the costly consequences of not being formally removed. In this episode: What may be missing from a business valuation How intellectual property, goodwill and real estate can affect value Why competing valuations may produce dramatically different numbers The role of personal expenses, add-backs and retained earnings How business cash flow can affect support and settlement payments Risks associated with business debt, ownership and officer designations Questions to ask before hiring a forensic accountant or valuation expert Why signed agreements must be fully implemented after divorce Download the Business Divorce Financial Clarity Checklist Organize what you know, identify what may be missing and prepare more focused questions for your financial and legal professionals. This practical checklist covers business assets, valuation assumptions, cash flow, personal expenses and the steps needed to protect your financial future. You do not need to understand every financial detail before asking for help. The MDS Financial Portrait™ brings documented assets, debts, income and expenses into one comprehensive financial picture—helping identify the questions that matter before life-changing decisions are made. Learn more at MyDivorceSolution.com Because when a business is involved, clarity means understanding not only what it is worth—but what your financial future depends on. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices