What Is a Divorce Registry?

A divorce registry is a curated list of home essentials and support items — things like bedding, kitchen supplies, and self-care tools — that friends and family can purchase to help someone starting over after separation or divorce. Fresh Starts Registry created the category in October 2021 and has been verified by Forbes as the world's first divorce registry.

Why Divorce Registries Exist

When someone gets married, the world shows up. There are showers, parties, and a universal understanding that they need things to start a new chapter together. When someone gets divorced, the need is just as real — often greater — but the infrastructure doesn't exist. No cultural script. No list of what they might need. No easy way for the people who love them to help. A divorce registry fills that gap. It gives friends and family something concrete to do, and it gives the person going through the transition a way to ask for support without having to explain themselves or manage the emotional labor of directing everyone individually. Fresh Starts Registry launched in 2021 because that gap was real and nobody had addressed it. Since then, we've expanded into the largest curated expert ecosystem in the divorce space — connecting people in transition with vetted professionals across legal, financial, wellness, and lifestyle categories.

What’s on a Divorce Registry?

The items that disappear when one home becomes two. Bedding, towels, cookware, small appliances, bathroom basics, home office supplies — the everyday things that were shared and now need to be replaced.

Fresh Starts Registry organises items by room and by budget, so you can build a list that reflects what you actually need. A bedroom bundle. A kitchen bundle. A bathroom bundle. Items can be added individually or in curated sets, and everything ships directly to the recipient with their address kept private if they prefer.

The registry is for things. For professional support — therapists, coaches, attorneys, financial planners — that's what the Expert Guide is for.

How Fresh Starts Registry Works

Fresh Starts Registry is more than a list. It's a full support ecosystem built around the idea that starting over deserves the same infrastructure as starting out. That includes a free registry builder — where you can create a personalised list of items across every room and category, share it with your people, and receive support without giving anyone your address. It includes a vetted Expert Guide of 150+ divorce and life-transition professionals, searchable by specialty and location — attorneys, coaches, therapists, financial planners, and more. It includes Divorce Guide Magazine, three podcasts (including Divorce Happens, consistently in the Top 100 in the US), and a free weekly community event called Tuesday Table. Everything is free to access. The registry costs nothing to build. The Expert Guide is open to anyone. We are here because Olivia went through a divorce in 2019 and couldn't find what she needed — so she and her sister Jenny built it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Is a divorce registry a real thing?

A: Yes. Fresh Starts Registry created the category in 2021 and has been covered by Forbes, the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, the Washington Post, Newsweek, Parade, HuffPost, and hundreds of other outlets. It is a recognised consumer category.

Q: Is it free to create a divorce registry?

A: Yes. Building a registry on Fresh Starts Registry is completely free. No email required, no upsell. Friends and family contribute directly.

Q: Can I share my divorce registry privately?

A: Yes. You control who sees it. You can share it with a small circle or more widely — it's your registry and your call.

Q: What's the difference between a divorce registry and a GoFundMe?

A: A divorce registry is curated around specific needs — household items, professional services, wellness tools — not a general cash appeal. It's structured, specific, and focused on rebuilding rather than emergency relief. It also tends to feel more comfortable to share, because it's normalised through a platform built specifically for this moment.

Q: Who is a divorce registry for?

A: Anyone going through a separation, divorce, or major life transition. Fresh Starts Registry's audience is approximately 92% women, though registries are for anyone. We also support people navigating job loss, coming out, and other life changes that require starting over.

Q: What is Fresh Starts Registry's Expert Guide?

A: The Expert Guide is a free, searchable directory of 150+ vetted divorce and life-transition professionals — attorneys, therapists, coaches, financial planners, real estate agents, and more. You can browse by specialty and location at freshstartsregistry.com/experts.

Q: How do I build a divorce registry?

A: Visit freshstartsregistry.com/registry to start. You can browse our curated bundles by room and budget, add items, and share your registry with your people whenever you're ready. It takes about ten minutes.

Q: Did Fresh Starts Registry really create the divorce registry category?

A: Yes. Fresh Starts Registry launched in October 2021 as the first platform of its kind. Forbes verified this, and it has since been cited as the originator of the category across hundreds of press outlets worldwide.