Read ‘em and weep (or laugh).
We have lots to say. We hope it helps in some small way!
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Should You Say Something to the Other Person After an Affair?
Should you say something to the other person after an affair? While the urge to speak up is natural, it rarely brings the closure you’re looking for. Learn what to consider before reaching out, why silence can be powerful, and how to focus on your own healing instead. Fresh Starts has experts who can help. Download our free ebook What to Consider When You’re Considering Divorce for support.
What to Do With the Urge to Speak Out After an Affair
Should you say something to the other person after an affair? While the urge to speak up is natural, it rarely brings the closure you’re looking for. Learn what to consider before reaching out, why silence can be powerful, and how to focus on your own healing instead. Fresh Starts has experts who can help. Download our free ebook What to Consider When You’re Considering Divorce for support.
What to Do If You Receive a Draft Court Order You Don’t Agree With
What if you receive a draft divorce order you don’t fully agree with? Remember: it isn’t final until a judge signs it. Learn how to review, respond, and protect your financial concerns—especially if you’re representing yourself. Fresh Starts has vetted divorce attorneys and financial experts who can help. Download our free ebook What to Consider When You’re Considering Divorce.
What Happens If the Divorce Petitioner Misses the First Court Hearing?
What happens if the divorce petitioner misses the first hearing? Courts may reschedule, move forward without them, or take their absence into account—especially in custody decisions. Learn what steps to take and how to protect your children’s best interests. Fresh Starts has family law and co-parenting experts to help. Download our free ebook What to Consider When You’re Considering Divorce.
From the Second Shift to the Separation Shift: Naming Divorce’s Invisible Labor
Divorce doesn’t just involve lawyers and paperwork—it adds a hidden third job we’ve coined the Separation Shift. Much like the “second shift” of marriage, the Separation Shift describes the invisible, unpaid labor women carry during divorce. From domestic tasks to emotional work, financial management, and administrative duties, this unseen labor causes burnout and impacts healing.
The Separation Shift: Why Divorce Is an Administrative Job No One Pays You For
Behind every divorce is a mountain of unpaid administrative labor—the backbone of what we’ve named the Separation Shift. Women spend hours filling out forms, scanning documents, organizing binders, managing portals, scheduling hearings, and tracking deadlines. This invisible clerical work is exhausting, stressful, and unrecognized, yet essential to moving divorce forward and rebuilding life.
The Separation Shift: The Financial Labor of Divorce That Falls on Women
Divorce is financially draining—not only in dollars but in hours of unpaid financial labor, part of the Separation Shift. Women often gather years of tax returns, track expenses, complete disclosures, budget single-income households, manage child support, and rebuild credit. This invisible financial work is overwhelming and stressful, leaving women burnt out before healing can even begin.
The Separation Shift: The Emotional Labor of Divorce That No One Talks About
Divorce demands heavy emotional labor, part of the Separation Shift we coined after years of supporting women. From explaining custody schedules, managing children’s grief, and maintaining stability across two households, to peacekeeping at transitions, this invisible emotional work takes a toll on women’s mental health. Recognizing it as labor validates exhaustion and opens space for healing.
The Separation Shift: The Hidden Domestic Labor of Divorce
Divorce multiplies domestic labor, creating what we call the Separation Shift. Women often shoulder invisible tasks like packing custody backpacks, duplicating children’s essentials across two homes, stocking kitchens, and managing multiple calendars. This unseen domestic work is exhausting, impacts mental health, and disrupts healing. Naming it is the first step toward recognition and equity.
The Separation Shift: Naming the Hidden Labor of Divorce
We’ve coined the term Separation Shift to describe the invisible, exhausting, unpaid labor of divorce.
From scanning affidavits to duplicating kids’ lives across two households, women become the unpaid paralegals of their own freedom.
Divorce Happens: Survival Scenarios: “Help, I was just served with divorce papers and I have no idea what to do!”
Being served with divorce papers can feel overwhelming and leave you wondering what to do next. In this Divorce Happens: Survival Scenarios guide, divorce mediator and attorney Mardi Chadwick-Balcom shares expert advice on the first 24 hours after being served, which documents to gather, and how to respond with intention. Get clear, compassionate guidance to navigate this stressful moment with confidence.
What Happens When Co-Parents Can’t Agree on Anything?
High-conflict co-parenting can make even simple decisions impossible. When parents can’t agree, courts may step in with detailed parenting plans, decision-making authority, or parallel parenting structures. Fresh Starts also offers co-parenting experts who can help.
The Leadership Crisis: Why Leadership Accountability and Taking Responsibility Matters at Every Level
The Leadership Crisis: Why Leadership Accountability and Taking Responsibility Matters at Every Level by Lorraine Connell founder of Peers not Fears, Teen Leadership Coach
How I Fell in Love With Plum Paper Planners
Last year, I picked up a planner from a charity shop and realized how powerful it felt to have a system that reflected me—my lifestyle, my routines, and even the work I do. This year, I finally got to create my dream planner with Plum Paper, and the customization—from layouts to budget pages to my personal guiding phrase on the cover—made it feel like it was truly built for me.
What to Do When Your Ex’s New Partner Posts Photos of Your Kids on Social Media (even after you asked them not to!)
What if your co-parent’s new partner posts photos of your kids online—even after you’ve asked them not to? Learn why recommendations aren’t always enforceable, how to document concerns, and when to raise the issue in court. Download our free ebook What to Consider When You’re Considering Divorce for compassionate guidance on co-parenting and digital boundaries.
What to Do If Your Ex Isn’t Paying Temporary Spousal Support
If your ex isn’t paying temporary spousal support, you have options. Unpaid support is a violation of a court order, and you can ask the court to enforce payment, recover arrears, or even hold your ex in contempt. Learn what steps to take and why documentation matters. Download our free ebook What to Consider When You’re Considering Divorce for practical, compassionate guidance.
What Happens to Pets in Divorce?
Divorcing with pets can be heartbreaking. Courts often treat dogs and cats as property, but some judges consider caregiving and stability. If your ex is threatening contempt over a pet, learn your rights, what evidence matters, and why it’s okay to fight for your furry family. Download our free ebook What to Consider When You’re Considering Divorce for support.
What to Do If You’re Locked Out of the Marital Home During Divorce
If your spouse locks you out of the marital home during divorce, you still have legal rights—especially if both names are on the deed and mortgage. Learn why it’s best to raise the issue in court, how to document what happened, and why safety comes first. Download our free ebook What to Consider When You’re Considering Divorce for compassionate guidance.
Why September Is a Popular Month to Consider Divorce
September is known as “divorce season”—but it’s more than that. As routines reset and the air shifts, many people find clarity about their relationships. Olivia and Jenny from Fresh Starts share why September is such a common month to consider divorce, how timing impacts families, and why this season is uniquely suited to fresh beginnings.
Shadow Cohabitation: Under One Roof, On Different Roads
Shadow Cohabitation is the modern divorce reality: you’ve separated, but stay under the same roof—temporarily—while housing costs, mortgage rates, and rents are high. We coined this term to provide clarity, safety tips, post-split co-parenting guidance and resources so families can stabilize budgets and routines before moving out. Learn what it is, who it’s for, and how to do it intentionally.