Welcome to Splitsville | Navigating Divorce in a Modern World

Parents navigating “Splitsville” often hope to divide time with their children equally. But in practice, that approach isn’t always the most helpful for children - or even the most practical. “One of the things I emphasize with parents is that, if you work with your co-parent to try to determine what is in the best interest of the children, then you can craft any kind of plan you want,” says Maria Curran, a licensed therapist, the owner of the Center for Creativity and Healing in Charlotte, and a repeat guest to “Welcome to Splitsville. “You can have a different schedule in the summer, for instance, than you do during the school year.”Maria and host Leigh Sellers unpack the emotionally charged issue of why “equal time” often doesn’t mean “best time.” As a longtime family law attorney, Leigh reflects on an increasingly common trend of parents wanting “everything to be exactly equal.” “Shared parenting time is not a specific number of overnights,” she says.Maria notes that factors like a parent’s job, children’s ages, sibling dynamics, and even the geographic distance between parents’ homes all play into an effective parenting schedule. Schedules that are too fragmented, she warns, can create real problems for kids, particularly teenagers managing school responsibilities and social lives. “We have some traditional plans that - a cookie cutter option, if you will - that just don't work for everybody,” she says.Tune in for this insightful discussion about the truth behind “equal” parenting - when transitions between households may create behavioral problems, and why flexibility is key.The insights and views presented in “Welcome to Splitsville” are for general information purposes only and should not be taken as legal advice for any individual case or situation. Nor does tuning in to this podcast constitute an attorney-client relationship of any kind. If you’re ready for compassionate and reliable legal guidance on your journey through divorce, contact the team at www.TouchstoneFamilyLaw.com

Abuse doesn't always end when a relationship does. For some survivors, the courtroom becomes the next battleground. In situations where one party repeatedly weaponizes the court system against the other, often referred to as litigation abuse, lawyers find themselves on the frontlines. “I can see where an attorney could be utilized to perpetuate the discovery and the invasive maneuvers to get evidence of conduct that we've been told exists –  whether it does or not,” says host Leigh Sellers. Recognizing that the concept may be new to judges, lawyers, and parties, Leigh focuses this episode on educating people about litigation abuse with help from Dr. Whitney Danso, a licensed psychologist with expertise in trauma and domestic violence. Dr. Danso explains how the legal system can become a tool for continued coercive control. They outline the difference between aggressive advocacy and true litigation abuse, describing how the same controlling tactics used within a relationship - isolation, false allegations, and engineered helplessness - can carry into the family court arena, and offer insights about how lawyers can recognize the warning signs of litigation abuse.Email Dr. Danso to learn more about her and her practice.The insights and views presented in “Welcome to Splitsville” are for general information purposes only and should not be taken as legal advice for any individual case or situation. Nor does tuning in to this podcast constitute an attorney-client relationship of any kind. If you’re ready for compassionate and reliable legal guidance on your journey through divorce, contact the team at www.TouchstoneFamilyLaw.com

"Communication is key," says Dr. Tracy Masiello, but for high-conflict divorced parents, even simple messages about a tired child can escalate into legal battles. When that happens, parenting coordinators have the skills and court authority to resolve communication breakdowns.Dr. Masiello, founder of Reaching Resolution, specializes in court-involved therapy, family reunification work, and high-conflict family systems. She and host Sheila Passenant walk through what listeners should know about this unique tool in North Carolina family law.Sitting at the intersection of psychology and the law, a parenting coordinator is a neutral professional, backed by court statute, who guides parents on custody orders or other issues that arise related to children. As she explains, “the courts essentially give the parenting coordinator the authority, very similar authority that the court has, to make these decisions.”She clarifies that while many roles in family law involve neutral professionals – from lawyers to therapists to parenting coordinators – there are key differences. Unlike mediators, for example, parenting coordinators make binding decisions when parents reach an impasse. “The simplest way I could say it is that it's like the judge is giving the parenting coordinator kind of the authority to act very similarly as though they're the judge and make those decisions,” she says.Tune in for this in-depth examination of a parenting coordinator’s role, the appointment process, and real-world examples of the job in practice. Sheila describes a hypothetical scenario where parents argue about a custody exchange: “A parent coordinator may say, ‘Okay, where do you live? How long does it take you? Where do you work? When can you get there? I'm going to pick the exchange place.’” The conversation explores how parenting coordinators address everything from holiday schedule confusion to helping parents implement court orders effectively, with the ultimate goal of teaching parents skills so they no longer need intervention. “I love it when they don’t need me,” Dr. Masiello says. For more information on Dr. Masiello’s practice, visit www.reachingresolution.net or connect with her on LinkedIn.The insights and views presented in “Welcome to Splitsville” are for general information purposes only and should not be taken as legal advice for any individual case or situation. Nor does tuning in to this podcast constitute an attorney-client relationship of any kind. If you’re ready for compassionate and reliable legal guidance on your journey through divorce, contact the team at www.TouchstoneFamilyLaw.com

Divorce or separation can be challenging, especially when co-parenting with an ex becomes difficult—or even impossible. In this episode of Welcome to Splitsville, licensed professional counselor and parent coach Jenevieve Wardell joins host Leigh Sellers to explain how parent coaching can help a parent navigate high-conflict situations and ensure children thrive.Leigh and Jenevieve discuss the differences between therapy, co-parenting coaching, and individual parent coaching, sharing real-life examples of how parents can manage communication, set boundaries, and respond thoughtfully to challenges. They explore strategies for communicating with a co-parent (have a script!), advocating for children, and maintaining a child-centered approach even when conflict arises.Listeners will learn how parent coaching can reduce stress, improve communication, empower parents, and—most importantly—protect children from the emotional impact of parental conflict.For more information on Jenevieve Wardell and her practice, visit hopefamilycounselingandcoaching.com. You can also connect with Jenevieve on LinkedIn.The insights and views presented in “Welcome to Splitsville” are for general information purposes only and should not be taken as legal advice for any individual case or situation. Nor does tuning in to this podcast constitute an attorney-client relationship of any kind. If you’re ready for compassionate and reliable legal guidance on your journey through divorce, contact the team at www.TouchstoneFamilyLaw.com

Divorcing parents are rarely “alienated” from their children, but children of divorcing parents do frequently “resist or refuse” a parent. In the latter scenario, “it’s not that the other parent is intentionally and actively trying to undermine the relationship between a parent and child, but, instead, it's that something has happened to that child,” explains Dr. Tracy Masiello, a psychologist, licensed clinical mental health counselor supervisor, parenting coordinator, divorce coach, and divorce mediator. Visiting with host Sheila Passenant, Tracy breaks down the difference between so-called “resist/refuse” dynamics and parental alienation, describing the factors that can lead children to resist spending time with a parent—from developmental stages to unintentional negative cues and past conflict. She details the specialized approach of reunification therapy and why traditional family therapy techniques often backfire in high-conflict situations. For more information on Dr. Tracy Masiello’s practice, visit www.reachingresolution.net. You can also connect with her on LinkedIn and learn more about her training programs at Resolution Academy.The insights and views presented in “Welcome to Splitsville” are for general information purposes only and should not be taken as legal advice for any individual case or situation. Nor does tuning in to this podcast constitute an attorney-client relationship of any kind. If you’re ready for compassionate and reliable legal guidance on your journey through divorce, contact the team at www.TouchstoneFamilyLaw.com