In this months’s edition:
A door is a threshold, not a destination. Remember covering yours in stickers before you knew what waited on the other side? Reconnect with her for a minute. Pick a room, add a few stickers, and save your door when it's yours again.
August Letter from the Editor
August gets no credit for being a season in its own right — but for anyone divorced or divorcing, it's the perfect metaphor for the liminal doorway between the decision and the new life on the other side. This issue's letter is your permission slip to stand in that threshold a little longer, because portals only open when they're ready.
Photo by Terrie Alifieri
In an enlightening interview, Donna Cates, a Certified Divorce Financial Analyst®, emphasizes the importance of financial clarity during divorce. She shares five essential tips to help individuals navigate their financial future confidently, focusing on asset management, credit protection, and the value of a supportive professional team.
In an insightful interview, Amy Slate, a dedicated Real Estate Consultant, discusses her journey to becoming The Breakup Broker, empowering clients during challenging transitions. She highlights the importance of personalized support and strategic planning, emphasizing her commitment to guiding individuals through real estate decisions in divorce with empathy and expertise.
A reader wonders why signing the divorce papers broke her open — and asks the question so many of us are afraid to ask out loud.
An affidavit is a written statement made under oath — legal evidence, not an informal explanation — and in divorce it appears everywhere: financial affidavits detailing income and assets, parenting affidavits describing routines, and sworn statements supporting motions on custody, support, or safety.
A parent asks how to handle the ex's new partner suddenly appearing at school concerts, soccer games, and kid birthday parties — under the watchful eyes of other parents — without looking bitter or pretending to be a happy blended family. Jenny's rule is "neutral grace": be civil, brief, and kid-centered with a simple script and an exit strategy, then let yourself feel it all afterward.
Living Together During Divorce: The Strange Space Between What Was and What’s Next by Lisa Lisser of LZL Coaching
5 Small Ways to Start Trusting Yourself Again After Divorce by Leah Marie Mazur of Mindfully Ready, Divorce Recovery Coach for Women
Learn the 10 essential questions to ask a potential divorce mediator to ensure a smooth, fair, and confidential mediation process. From understanding their experience and mediation style to confidentiality and cost structure, discover what you need to know before making your choice. Find the right mediator to guide you through a collaborative, stress-free divorce process.
In this guide, we’ll explore key factors to consider when navigating divorce with children—legal custody, physical custody, visitation schedules, and how to prioritize your child’s emotional well-being throughout the process.
Talking to your kids about a new relationship after divorce can feel daunting, but it’s a conversation that lays the foundation for trust and emotional security. By handling this conversation thoughtfully, you can ease their worries, answer their questions, and create a safe space for everyone to navigate this new chapter together.
Divorce is a major life transition, and managing your finances is one of the most critical aspects of navigating this change. In this post, we’ll cover 10 essential questions to ask your bank and credit card company during your divorce.
August Letter from the Editor
August gets no credit for being a season in its own right — but for anyone divorced or divorcing, it's the perfect metaphor for the liminal doorway between the decision and the new life on the other side. This issue's letter is your permission slip to stand in that threshold a little longer, because portals only open when they're ready.
Photo by Terrie Alifieri
August Letter from the Editor
August gets no credit for being a season in its own right — but for anyone divorced or divorcing, it's the perfect metaphor for the liminal doorway between the decision and the new life on the other side. This issue's letter is your permission slip to stand in that threshold a little longer, because portals only open when they're ready.
Photo by Terrie Alifieri
A door is a threshold, not a destination. Remember covering yours in stickers before you knew what waited on the other side? Reconnect with her for a minute. Pick a room, add a few stickers, and save your door when it's yours again.
Expert Features
In an enlightening interview, Donna Cates, a Certified Divorce Financial Analyst®, emphasizes the importance of financial clarity during divorce. She shares five essential tips to help individuals navigate their financial future confidently, focusing on asset management, credit protection, and the value of a supportive professional team.
In an insightful interview, Amy Slate, a dedicated Real Estate Consultant, discusses her journey to becoming The Breakup Broker, empowering clients during challenging transitions. She highlights the importance of personalized support and strategic planning, emphasizing her commitment to guiding individuals through real estate decisions in divorce with empathy and expertise.
You Don’t Have to Navigate Divorce Alone.
Start With a Divorce Resource Consult.
Feeling overwhelmed, unsure where to begin, or drowning in Google tabs? A Divorce Resource Consult is your first calm, grounded step forward.
In this 15-minute conversation with Fresh Starts co-founder Olivia Howell, you’ll get clarity on what you actually need, which professionals can help, and how to move through your next decisions with confidence — not chaos. No judgment. No pressure. Just clear direction and compassionate support.
We help you:
Understand your first steps
Find the right experts for your situation
Build a personalized “hype team”
Feel less alone in the process
Your fresh start begins with one conversation.
Book your free consult at divorceresourceconsult.com
Fresh Starts — Support You Can Feel.
Divorce is a major life transition, and managing your finances is one of the most critical aspects of navigating this change. In this post, we’ll cover 10 essential questions to ask your bank and credit card company during your divorce.
Want a Print Copy of Divorce Guide Magazine?
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A few things worth knowing before you order: because of the way our print cycle works, physical copies won't ship at the top of the month. If you're ordering the March issue, for example, plan to have it in hand closer to mid-March. We wish it were faster — but we'd rather get it right than get it out the door half-done.
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More from our Experts
Living Together During Divorce: The Strange Space Between What Was and What’s Next by Lisa Lisser of LZL Coaching
5 Small Ways to Start Trusting Yourself Again After Divorce by Leah Marie Mazur of Mindfully Ready, Divorce Recovery Coach for Women
Upcoming Events from Fresh Starts:
Kristina St. Cyr, Divorce Coach is joining Fresh Starts to host: Beyond the Schedule: Building a Child-Centered Parenting Plan on Wednesday, August 05 at 12:00 PM EST. Learn more and sign up HERE!
Rachel Lovitt, Fitness Teacher is joining Fresh Starts to host: Movement and Sound for Ease and Support on Monday, August 10 at 12:00 PM EST EST. Learn more and sign up HERE!
Amanda Mason, SOLAGREE® is joining Fresh Starts to host: How a Phased Approach to Divorce Can Save Your Time, Fees, and Spirit on Wednesday, August 19 at 12:45 PM EST EST. Learn more and sign up HERE!
Jessica Zadjura, Family Law Attorney is joining Fresh Starts to host: 18 and Legal: The 4 Documents Every Young Adult Needs on Wednesday, August 26 at 1:30 PM EST EST. Learn more and sign up HERE!
All Fresh Starts events led by Fresh Starts Experts are free to attend. Interested in the event but can’t make the time? Register anyway as we send a replay to everyone who signs up. All times are listed in EST. Dates and times are subject to change.
DIVORCE ISN’T A SOLO SPORT.
When your life is being rebuilt, redesigned, or completely reimagined… you deserve more than advice. You deserve a team.
THE FRESH STARTS EXPERT GUIDE
Your curated roster of divorce-savvy pros:
Therapists. Coaches. CDFAs. Lawyers. Mediators. Realtors.
Career strategists. Parenting specialists. Healing practitioners. The people who help you stabilize, strategize, and start again. We hand-select every expert for compassion, clarity, and credibility. No guesswork. No overwhelm. No “you’ll figure it out.” Just a vetted crew who actually understands what this season feels like.
WHY IT MATTERS
Because divorce is logistical. Because divorce is emotional. Because divorce is a thousand decisions you shouldn’t have to make alone. Because the right team turns chaos into a roadmap.
YOUR NEXT CHAPTER STARTS WITH ONE CLICK: Build your hype team. Find your people. Start your fresh start.
Fresh Starts Registry
This is support. Reimagined.
Learn the 10 essential questions to ask a potential divorce mediator to ensure a smooth, fair, and confidential mediation process. From understanding their experience and mediation style to confidentiality and cost structure, discover what you need to know before making your choice. Find the right mediator to guide you through a collaborative, stress-free divorce process.
Build Your Team
Divorce can be a portal to joy — that's the promise author Betsy Cornwall offers, drawn from her own journey of leaving an abusive marriage, facing homelessness, and rebuilding a life on Ireland's wild coast, crowdfunded knitting factory and all. Her advice: find your people, trust the instinct that something's off, and know real joy is waiting on the other side.
Feeling a little lost navigating the next steps?
Book your free 15-minute Divorce Resource Consult at divorceresourceconsult.com
Your Guide to Divorce
In this guide, we’ll explore key factors to consider when navigating divorce with children—legal custody, physical custody, visitation schedules, and how to prioritize your child’s emotional well-being throughout the process.
Talking to your kids about a new relationship after divorce can feel daunting, but it’s a conversation that lays the foundation for trust and emotional security. By handling this conversation thoughtfully, you can ease their worries, answer their questions, and create a safe space for everyone to navigate this new chapter together.
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• Blank product sourced from Nicaragua, Honduras, or the US
This product is made especially for you as soon as you place an order, which is why it takes us a bit longer to deliver it to you. Making products on demand instead of in bulk helps reduce overproduction, so thank you for making thoughtful purchasing decisions!
• 50% cotton, 50% polyester
• Pre-shrunk
• Classic fit
• 1x1 athletic rib knit collar with spandex
• Air-jet spun yarn with a soft feel
• Double-needle stitched collar, shoulders, armholes, cuffs, and hem
This product is made especially for you as soon as you place an order, which is why it takes us a bit longer to deliver it to you. Making products on demand instead of in bulk helps reduce overproduction, so thank you for making thoughtful purchasing decisions!
From Fresh Starts to You
A reader wonders why signing the divorce papers broke her open — and asks the question so many of us are afraid to ask out loud.
An affidavit is a written statement made under oath — legal evidence, not an informal explanation — and in divorce it appears everywhere: financial affidavits detailing income and assets, parenting affidavits describing routines, and sworn statements supporting motions on custody, support, or safety.
A parent asks how to handle the ex's new partner suddenly appearing at school concerts, soccer games, and kid birthday parties — under the watchful eyes of other parents — without looking bitter or pretending to be a happy blended family. Jenny's rule is "neutral grace": be civil, brief, and kid-centered with a simple script and an exit strategy, then let yourself feel it all afterward.
Feeling a little lost navigating the next steps?
Book your free 15-minute Divorce Resource Consult at divorceresourceconsult.com
The Divorce Guide Book Series
Empowering you to navigate divorce with confidence, clarity, and support, The Divorce Guide Series is your essential roadmap through one of life's most challenging transitions. Each book is designed to answer your most pressing questions, provide actionable steps, and offer guidance on building the support system you need. Whether you're contemplating divorce, wondering how to move forward without financial resources, or looking to ask the right questions of your legal and emotional support teams, this series is here to help. With current titles like 250+ Questions to Ask Your Support Team, What to Consider When You're Considering Divorce, and How to Get Divorced with No Money, you'll find practical insights and expert advice at every stage.
If you’re a stay-at-home parent ready to leave your marriage but don’t know how to afford it, this guide is for you. Written with compassion and practicality, this judgment-free book walks you through the legal, emotional, and logistical steps of getting a divorce without income.
Download the ePub and PDF for FREE
Thinking about divorce? This powerful, practical guide walks you through the first steps—emotionally, legally, and financially. With expert insights on custody, alimony, assets, and more, it’s your essential roadmap to clarity, confidence, and support as you consider, plan, and prepare for divorce.
Download the ePub and PDF for FREE
Your Divorce Support Team is your go-to guide for navigating divorce with clarity and confidence. Packed with 250+ essential questions and expert insights, this resource empowers you to build the right support team, protect your finances, and prioritize your emotional well-being during every step of the process.
Download the ePub and PDF for FREE
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Divorce Guide Magazine is an educational and informational publication designed to support individuals navigating divorce and major life transitions. The content in this magazine is not intended to serve as legal, financial, mental health, or therapeutic advice. Nothing in these pages should be interpreted as a substitute for professional guidance from a licensed attorney, therapist, accountant, or other qualified expert.
Every divorce is unique. Readers are encouraged to seek individualized advice from professionals who understand their specific circumstances.
While we strive for accuracy and up-to-date information, laws, policies, and professional standards change, and Fresh Starts, Inc. makes no guarantees regarding the completeness or reliability of the information provided. The views expressed by contributors are their own and do not necessarily reflect the viewpoints of Fresh Starts, Inc.
This magazine is created with compassion, intention, and care — but it is not a replacement for a legal strategy, a mental health plan, or personalized professional support.
For more resources, expert guidance, and community support, visit freshstartsregistry.com.
Please note that all articles written by outside experts for Divorce Guide Magazine reflect the views, opinions, and professional perspectives of the individual authors. They do not represent the views, opinions, or positions of Fresh Starts Registry or Divorce Guide Magazine. All content is for informational purposes only and should not be considered legal, financial, or medical advice.
• 50% pre-shrunk cotton, 50% polyester
• Fabric weight: 8.0 oz/yd² (271.25 g/m²)
• Air-jet spun yarn with a soft feel and reduced pilling
• Double-lined hood with matching drawcord
• Quarter-turned body to avoid crease down the middle
• 1 × 1 athletic rib-knit cuffs and waistband with spandex
• Front pouch pocket
• Double-needle stitched collar, shoulders, armholes, cuffs, and hem
• Blank product sourced from Bangladesh, Nicaragua, Honduras or El Salvador
This product is made especially for you as soon as you place an order, which is why it takes us a bit longer to deliver it to you. Making products on demand instead of in bulk helps reduce overproduction, so thank you for making thoughtful purchasing decisions!