Figure out the co-parenting stuff without paying a lawyer to explain it.
We compare the apps, divorce services, mediators and money tools separated parents actually use (63 of them so far) and write the how-to guides nobody hands you when you split up.
Every publisher we quote gets a credit and a link back to the original piece.
How-to guides
Long, specific, and written to be read once at 11pm when you need an answer.
The Parenting Plan Checklist: 31 Things to Agree Before You Sign
A complete list of the decisions a durable parenting plan should cover, including the ones people forget.
10 min readKids and wellbeingHow to Tell Your Kids You Are Separating
What to say, what not to say, and how the conversation differs by age.
8 min readMoney and financesHow to Split Child Expenses Without a Monthly Argument
A practical system for shared costs: what counts, how to split it, and how to keep a receipt trail.
8 min readFrom around the web
Worth a read this week, from family lawyers, therapists and the courts. Every link goes straight to whoever wrote it.
- Divorced Girl SmilingArguing With The Ex: Know When To Walk AwayArguing with the ex is a pretty common occurrence, given the fact that one main reason people get divorced is because they argue excessively. So, the interactions that were present in the marriage are usually similar in the divorce.
- Divorced Girl SmilingDivorce With Teens Or Young Adults: What They Need From YouWhen parents decide to divorce, one of the most common assumptions I hear is, “At least the kids are older. They’ll be fine.” While teens and young adults may appear more independent than younger children, that doesn’t mean they are less affected by their parents’ divorce.
- Divorced Girl SmilingPost-Divorce Mediation: How It Works, Advantages and How to Avoid It If You CanDivorce mediation is a process that works extremely well if the couple getting divorced is willing to be open-minded, fair, and forthcoming. But things change. Life is always changing. Sometimes a couple ends up coming back to mediation months or even years after the divorce is final.
- Divorced Girl SmilingI Did Everything Right. So Why Does Love Hurt This Much?You held it together. For years, maybe decades. You managed the house, the kids, the calendar, the emotional temperature of every room. You showed up, for your marriage, for your family, for everyone who needed you. You tried harder when things got hard. You gave more when more was asked.
- Divorced Girl SmilingWhy “Why Didn’t She Leave?” Is the Wrong Question: A Divorce Attorney’s Perspective on Domestic ViolenceDomestic violence is one of the most heartbreaking and difficult realities I encounter as a divorce attorney. Recently, a tragic case in the Chicago area deeply affected me: a woman was murdered by her boyfriend after prior reports of domestic violence had already been made. She had called the police before.
- Divorced Girl SmilingMoney and Divorce: 4 Words You Should Never Say AgainWhen it comes to money and divorce, I’ll say this: a divorce costs money. A lot of money. Not just for the divorce process itself, but now you’re talking two homes, two sets of bills for everything, two sets of everything for everything!
Not sure which problem to solve first?
Most people arrive here with one of three questions: what schedule should we use, how do we stop arguing in messages, and what is this going to cost. Start with those.