Letting Go of Resentment and Moving Forward After Divorce with Jill Kaufman & Justin Milrad

What happens when parents are able to move beyond the conflict of divorce and build a healthy co-parenting relationship? In this episode of Coparenting Beyond Conflict, Sol sits down with Jill Kaufman and Justin Milrad, co-authors of The Co-Parenting Playbook: Proven Strategies for Navigating Divorce, Conflict, and Raising Thriving Kids. Jill is a licensed therapist, mediator, divorce coach, and longtime co-parenting expert. Justin is an entrepreneur and divorce coach whose own divorce escalated into an eight-day trial and seven figures in legal expenses before he and his former spouse found their way back to a healthy co-parenting relationship. Jill and Justin discuss why unresolved conflict—not divorce itself—can have such a significant impact on children, how parents can recognize when their kids are struggling, and why doing the work on yourself is an essential part of becoming a better co-parent. They also explore radical acceptance, letting go of the victim mindset, creating parenting plans that anticipate future challenges, managing finances, improving communication, and making decisions through a child-first lens. Ultimately, they share a hopeful message: even when divorce doesn’t turn out the way you imagined, you still have agency over how you move forward. Links Get The Co-Parenting Playbook by Jill Kaufman and Justin Milrad on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0H385V7K4 Learn more about Jill Kaufman: https://DivorceCoachJill.com/ Learn more about Justin Milrad: https://ReclaimAndReboot.me/ Get the BestInterest Coparenting App: https://bestinterest.app/ Subscribe to our newsletter to hear about new episodes and build community: https://bestinterest.app/subscribe-podcast/ Watch this episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LEeWUToi-R0 Keywords co-parenting, co-parenting after divorce, divorce, high conflict co-parenting, divorce recovery, co-parenting communication, parenting plan, child-first parenting, children and divorce, divorce conflict, radical acceptance, victim mindset, emotional regulation, co-parenting relationship, divorce coaching, divorce therapy, mediation, co-parenting tools, parenting after divorce, financial planning after divorce, BestInterest, Jill Kaufman, Justin Milrad, The Co-Parenting Playbook Key Takeaways Unresolved parental conflict can be more damaging to children than divorce itself. Parents can support their children by managing their own emotions rather than putting children in the middle. Letting go of the need for an apology, justice, or fairness can help parents reclaim control over their own lives. A child-first decision filter can help parents distinguish their children’s needs from their own emotional needs. Parenting plans can benefit from anticipating future challenges rather than only addressing the immediate circumstances of divorce. Good co-parenting requires systems for communication, information sharing, finances, and changing needs. Even when a co-parent refuses to collaborate, you can still choose how you show up. Divorce can create opportunities for personal growth, intentional parenting, and rebuilding your life. Chapter Highlights 00:00 — Welcome & Meet Jill Kaufman and Justin Milrad 01:12 — Justin’s Journey Through a High-Conflict Divorce 03:18 — Jill’s Experience and Co-Parenting Work 04:07 — How The Co-Parenting Playbook Came Together 06:04 — Why Conflict, Not Divorce, Can Damage Kids 07:07 — Signs That Children Are Thriving—or Struggling 08:50 — The Child-First Decision Filter 11:19 — Doing the Work on Yourself 11:45 — How to Recognize a Victim Mindset 13:28 — Radical Acceptance and Taking Back Your Power 15:37 — Letting Go and Moving Forward 17:09 — The Unexpected Benefits of Co-Parenting 18:29 — Can You Still Love Your Ex? 20:46 — When the Other Parent Won’t Collaborate 21:48 — Building Systems for Future Conflict 24:45 — Creating Flexible Parenting Plans 25:14 — Choosing the Right People for Advice 26:16 — Writing the Co-Parenting Playbook 27:07 — Seeing Divorce Through Your Child’s Eyes 27:47 — Why Every Parent Can Benefit From Co-Parenting Education 29:08 — The Financial Side of Divorce 30:34 — Communication Tools That Keep Co-Parenting on Track 31:58 — Why Withholding Information Hurts Everyone 33:40 — Can the Other Parent Learn? 34:57 — Lightning Round 35:21 — The Most Important Thing Co-Parents Can Do for Their Kids 35:34 — What Parents Think Is Helpful but Can Be Harmful 35:53 — “I’m Doing It for the Kids” 36:26 — The Underrated Benefits of Divorce 37:19 — Getting Off the Hamster Wheel 38:05 — Making Space to Become a Better Parent 38:44 — Where to Find Jill and Justin What if your co-parent’s toxic messages never even reached you? Thousands of parents are already finding peace with the BestInterest Coparenting App. As a listener, you can too. Claim 40% off an annual subscription here: https://bestinterest.app/beyond