What if the biggest obstacle in your divorce isn't your spouse, but the system itself? Jonathan Merel, a progressive Chicago family law and divorce attorney with over 20 years of experience, reveals the hidden dynamics that can turn even amicable divorces into drawn-out nightmares. From lawyers who overpromise to judges who won't decide, he explains why some divorces cost fortunes while others resolve efficiently.

In this podcast episode, we dive deeply into high-conflict divorces, exploring what happens when only one spouse is reasonable or when opposing counsel ramps up the conflict for profit. Jonathan also shares practical strategies for dealing with difficult spouses and identifying problematic lawyers. [Hint: If your lawyer isn't returning calls within 24 hours, that's a red flag.]

Jonathan’s law firm has also pioneered an unconventional approach to family law. It’s the only Chicago law firm that has a divorce coach on staff to bridge the gap between legal expertise and emotional support, and in this episode you’ll discover what a difference that makes.

Finally, Jonathan explains divorce trial realities that would shock most people, from cases getting trial dates scattered over an entire year, to judges taking months to issue rulings, and costs mounting relentlessly. We also talk about the benefits of mediation and the way COVID has permanently shifted the landscape in divorce.

If you are even considering going to trial in your divorce (or if you have no choice), this podcast episode is one you can’t afford to miss.

About Jonathan

Jonathan Merel is an experienced attorney who advocates for his clients in all divorce and family law proceedings, including settlement negotiations and trials. Jonathan founded Merel Family Law in early 2009 after working for many years at another family law firm in Chicago. Through his hard work and unwavering dedication to his clients, Jonathan has quickly grown the firm to become one of the premier divorce and family law firms in the Chicagoland area.

Connect with Jonathan

You can connect with Jonathan on LinkedIn at Jonathan Merel. You can follow Jonathan on Instagram at Merel Family Law and listen to his podcast All Things Divorce Podcast. To learn more about working with Jonathan, visit his website at Merel Family Law.

The Strategic Divorce Guide will help you prepare for what's coming in your divorce so you can be ready to make every decision BEFORE it's a crisis. It will help you understand and evaluate your divorce options, identify your financial goals, protect your relationship with your kids, communicate calmly with your spouse, and more.

Claim your Strategic Divorce Guide at https://karencovy.com/strategic-guide. For a limited time, use the code: STRATEGY30 to get 30% off.

Karen Covy is a Divorce Coach and Consultant, Lawyer, Author, and Speaker who is dedicated to helping people make the best decisions possible for themselves, their families, and their future - especially in stressful times. You can check out Karen's videos on YouTube.

You can connect with Karen on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and on her own website at karencovy.com.

Divorce can feel like a never-ending war that slowly strips you of your money, your identity, and your sense of control. Ravit Rose learned this the hard way after burning through over $100,000 and nearly a decade and a half of her life in a brutal, toxic divorce that left her broke, depressed, and questioning everything.

In this podcast episode, Ravit reveals how cycling through lawyers, escalating court battles, and making emotionally reactive decisions only fueled the conflict and nearly broke her physically, financially, and emotionally. Through self-representation, intense self-development, and learning how to remove emotion from strategy, Ravit discovered that winning in divorce has far less to do with aggression and far more to do with how you show up.

The conversation goes beyond legal process and dives into the often-ignored reality that divorce is mostly about the human being going through it, not just the paperwork.

Now a divorce scientist and the founder of the Irooze Divorce Community, Ravit helps parents navigate separation and divorce by matching them with specialized professionals who address not just their legal paperwork and financial documents, but their mind, body, and soul as well.

Whether you're contemplating divorce, in the thick of battle, or trying to rebuild your life after divorce, Ravit's message is clear: divorce isn't a one-person show, and the 20% that's legal and financial can't succeed without addressing the 80% that's about your own transformation.

About Ravit

Ravit Rose is a Divorce Scientist and Founder of the Irooze Divorce community. Parents across USA and Canada are matched & connected to the "right " Divorce support team, based on their needs. Ravit helps her clients grow and develop, and prepare their strategy to help them get move through this period of their life.

Connect with Ravit

You can connect with Ravit on LinkedIn at Ravit Rose and follow Ravit on YouTube at Irooze Divorce Community. To learn more about working with Ravit, visit her website at Irooze Divorce.

More from Ravit

Take a free Self Assessment on Ravit’s website and schedule a complimentary call with one of our Divorce Specialists.

Karen Covy is a Divorce Coach and Consultant, Lawyer, Author, and Speaker who is dedicated to helping people make the best decisions possible for themselves, their families, and their future - especially in stressful times. You can check out Karen's videos on YouTube.

You can connect with Karen on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and on her own website at karencovy.com.

When you can’t decide whether to stay or go in your marriage, your biggest fear is that if you decide to leave, you’ll be making a mistake. But staying on the fence can be an even bigger one.

In this special solo episode of the Off the Fence Podcast, I talk about why staying in limbo is so hard, and how you can finally move through it. I break down why waiting for absolute certainty will keep you frozen, and why clarity comes from taking action, not from a magical, lightning-bolt moment. Most importantly, I explore the real impact of staying versus leaving on children, finances, identity, and long-term happiness, all while challenging some of the biggest myths people believe about divorce.

Whether you're just beginning to question your marriage or you've been wrestling with the decision about whether to stay or go for years, this podcast episode offers a roadmap for moving from confusion to clarity.

It will help you learn how to trust yourself enough to make this kind of decision, and will give you a practical framework and the tools to make that decision in a way you won't second-guess for the rest of your life.

Karen Covy is a Divorce Coach and Consultant, Lawyer, Author, and Speaker who is dedicated to helping people make the best decisions possible for themselves, their families, and their future - especially in stressful times. You can check out Karen's videos on YouTube.

You can connect with Karen on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and on her own website at karencovy.com.

What if the patterns keeping you stuck in unfulfilling relationships trace back to wounds you didn't even know needed healing? Relationship coach and hypnotherapist Mina Yang reveals how unresolved childhood trauma can quietly sabotage your ability to choose the right partners. More importantly, she reveals how you can finally break free.

Through her unique approach combining hypnotherapy and relationship coaching, Mina helps you understand why you keep repeating the same relationship mistakes and how you can finally have the love life you deserve.

In this podcast episode, Mina explains how childhood traumas create subconscious beliefs that drive our adult relationship choices, often causing us to chase emotionally unavailable partners or to sabotage our intimate relationships. She also shows how customized hypnotherapy recordings and guided meditations can rewire our deeply ingrained beliefs so that we can stop chasing the wrong partners and finally become attracted to someone healthier.

We also talk about the practical issues of when you should start dating after a divorce, how to avoid dating app scammers, and how to recognize red flags early on in a relationship.

Healthy, drama-free partnerships do exist, and this podcast episode could be your key to finally creating the love life and relationship you’ve been dreaming of.

About Mina

Mina Yang is a former academic turned hypnotherapist, relationship coach, and author devoted to helping people thrive in love and life. Drawing on her 20+ years as a music professor, her certification in Rapid Transformational Therapy, and her deep understanding of human psychology, she guides clients toward emotional freedom, self-love, and authentic connection. Mina’s work, including her book Boss Lady Boss Love, blends science, art, and soul to help people release old patterns and open to relationships that truly expand them.

Connect with Mina

You can connect with Mina on LinkedIn at Mina Yang True Connection and follow Mina on YouTube at Mina Yang. To learn more about working with Mina, visit her website at Mina Yang.

More from Mina

Get your copy of Mina’s book Boss Lady Boss Love

Join her upcoming retreat in April: True Connection Retreat

Learn more about her VIP True Connection Circle

Karen Covy is a Divorce Coach and Consultant, Lawyer, Author, and Speaker who is dedicated to helping people make the best decisions possible for themselves, their families, and their future - especially in stressful times. You can check out Karen's videos on YouTube.

You can connect with Karen on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and on her own website at karencovy.com.

What if the evidence you need to win your divorce is hidden and you don't even know where to look? Becky Sampson, founder of Only Subpoenas, learned this lesson the hard way when she spent three and a half years representing herself against five attorneys in Hawaii family court. After mastering the art of subpoenas through 21 successful requests for financial records, she didn't just win her case, she discovered how to level the playing field when a spouse is hiding assets.

Most people think getting a forensic accountant is the answer when money seems to be missing, but there's a catch: accountants can only work with the documents they have been given. If your spouse won’t come clean with the financial records, even the best forensic accountant won’t be able to find where the money is hidden.

Subpoenas help you find the records you don’t have. They’re the actual key to uncovering hidden finances, from retirement accounts to employment records.

Becky explains the critical mistakes that cause one in three subpoenas to get rejected, why "foreign subpoenas" across state lines are trickier than anyone realizes, and how proper documentation creates the leverage that often leads to settlement before trial.

Now helping attorneys navigate the tedious compliance requirements most law firms avoid, Becky shows how the right information (obtained the right way) can transform a divorce from an endless battle into a fair resolution.

Whether you're self-represented or working with a lawyer, understanding when and how to use subpoenas could be the difference between guessing what exists and actually proving it in court.

About Becky

Becky Sampson is the Founder of ONLY Subpoenas™, a company born out of her own hard-won victory in the Hawaii Family Court system. After 21 hearings, 21 subpoenas, and 3½ years representing herself against five attorneys, Becky didn’t just win — she secured a fair and equitable financial outcome that honored both parties while keeping compassion at the center.

Now affectionately known as “Becky Brockovich,” she uses that experience to help others—especially women—navigate the legal and financial complexities of divorce with strength, clarity, and strategy. Her mission is to teach people how to uncover the truth, organize their evidence, and negotiate from a place of empowerment so they can walk away not just with peace of mind, but with what’s fair financially.

Connect with Becky

You can connect with Becky on LinkedIn at Becky Sampson and on Facebook at Becky Sampson. You can follow Becky on Instagram at Divorcing Strong Becky Sampson and on YouTube at Divorcing Strong. To learn more about working with Becky, visit her website at Only Subpoenas.

Free Download: 100 Legal Divorce Terms

Karen Covy is a Divorce Coach and Consultant, Lawyer, Author, and Speaker who is dedicated to helping people make the best decisions possible for themselves, their families, and their future - especially in stressful times. You can check out Karen's videos on YouTube.

You can connect with Karen on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and on her own website at karencovy.com.

When life throws you into chaos - whether it's a divorce, a fractured family relationship, or a crossroads moment - the advice you get next can either save you or sink you. This compilation brings together the most powerful insights from the best of over 50 episodes about divorce, relationships, finance, psychology, and wellness. The professionals in this episode distill years of wisdom into practical strategies that actually work when your life is falling apart. From narcissistic abuse survivors to financial planners, therapists to health experts, these are the voices who've helped thousands navigate their darkest moments and come out stronger on the other side.

In this "Best of Off the Fence 2025" episode, you'll discover how adult children can be systematically isolated by narcissistic partners, the surprising way to flip out of "victim mode" by asking one simple question, and the Social Security mistakes that could cost you thousands. You'll also get practical guidance on building self-care routines that go beyond bubble baths and how to turn post-divorce dating into the foundation for a solid, fulfilling long-term relationship. Whether you're navigating family conflict, making financial decisions, trying to heal and rebuild after divorce, or you're looking to start over romantically, this collection offers the hard-won wisdom that only comes from experts who've guided countless others through these exact challenges.

Episode 113: Narcissistic Alienation of Adult Children: When Love Turns to Loss

Tracy Malone is an International divorce coach, narcissist abuse survival coach, author, speaker, educator, victim, and surTHRIVER of narcissistic abuse. Visit Tracy’s website Narcissist Abuse Support.

Episode 117: Trapped in Victim Mode? How to Flip Your Drama Triangle

Dr. Carrie Johansson is a psychologist turned speaker and author. Fondly known as The Sensible Psychologist. Visit her website at Self Help On The Go.

Episode 155: Social Security Mistakes That Cost Your Thousands

Eric Blake is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® helping women 55+ navigate retirement with clarity and confidence. Visit Eric’s website at Blake Wealth Management.

Episode 137: Real Self-Care That Works When Your Life is Falling Apart

Jennifer Gilman, is a National Board-Certified Health & Wellness Coach and the visionary force behind New Way Health Coach. Visit Jennifer’s website at New Way Health Coach.

Episode 141: Navigating Post-Divorce Dating with Love Expert Laurie Gerber

Laurie Gerber is one of the most engaging and effective life coaches and presenters in the country. Visit her website at Laurie Gerber.

Karen Covy is a Divorce Coach and Consultant, Lawyer, Author, and Speaker who is dedicated to helping people make the best decisions possible for themselves, their families, and their future - especially in stressful times. You can check out Karen's videos on YouTube.

You can connect with Karen on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and on her own website at karencovy.com.

Holidays can feel like a punch in the stomach when you’re going through a divorce. But divorce expert Jackie Pilossoph, the creator and CEO of Divorced Girl Smiling, has the perfect set of practical tips that will help you bring back some holiday joy, in spite of your divorce.

In this podcast episode, Jackie shares deeply relatable stories and actionable tips for surviving the holidays, even if you’re feeling sad, alone, or overwhelmed. Jackie opens up about her own experience of spending her first Christmas without her kids, offering insights on how to honor your emotions while finding ways to reclaim joy during these tough times.

If you’re alone today – or on any major holiday – Jackie’s creative and practical ideas will help you feel better right now, even if you didn’t plan ahead. You’ll discover how taking even small steps can shift your mindset and improve your mood, even when you think that’s impossible. You'll also learn how you can celebrate a whole new you in the new year!

Don’t struggle through the holiday season! Take a break. Listen to this episode. You’ll feel better.

[NOTE: This episode originally ran as Episode 101, but it was so good, we just had to bring it back to spread more holiday cheer this year!]

About Jackie

Jackie Pilossoph is the creator and Editor-in-chief of Divorced Girl Smiling, a media company comprised of a website, podcast, mobile app and professional resources. Jackie holds a Masters degree in Broadcast Journalism and is a former television news reporter and features reporter and writer for the Chicago Tribune.

Where to Connect with Jackie
You can connect with Jackie on Facebook at Divorced Girl Smiling or in her Facebook Group, The Divorced Girl Smiling Group. She is on LinkedIn as Divorced Girl Smiling. You can also find her on her website at DivorcedGirlSmiling.com.

The DGS Club is no longer being offered. But new resources are always being added to the Divorced Girl Smiling website. Please check out the website today and discover how Divorced Girl Smiling can support your divorce journey.

Karen Covy is a Divorce Coach and Consultant, Lawyer, Author, and Speaker who is dedicated to helping people make the best decisions possible for themselves, their families, and their future - especially in stressful times. You can check out Karen's videos on YouTube.

You can connect with Karen on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and on her own website at karencovy.com.

What if the biggest financial mistake you'll ever make isn't choosing the wrong investment … it's avoiding having the investment conversation altogether? Elke Rubach left traditional law practice to create a wealth advisory firm built on a radical idea: that financial planning fails when it ignores the human beings behind the numbers. Her approach emerged from the personal tragedy her family experienced when her father's death revealed how financially unprepared her family really was.

At the heart of Elke’s approach is a simple but uncomfortable truth: avoiding money conversations is still a decision. Financial lives, like homes, require regular maintenance. Wills, insurance, taxes, investments, and goals can’t run properly on autopilot. And when a crisis happens (divorce, illness, or death), your resilience increases when you’re prepared.

Whether you're contemplating staying in a marriage or leaving, financial clarity reveals the real "price of freedom." Wealth decreases when you prolong a conflict. But it increases when you’re informed and clear about your financial reality and willing to make decisions based on that knowledge.

If you’re ready to replace anxiety with agency - whether you’re partnered, single, or rebuilding - this conversation gives you a blueprint to start.

About Elke

Elke M. Rubach is the Founder and Principal of Rubach Wealth Holistic Family Advisors™, a Toronto-based firm helping successful families achieve clarity, control, and confidence in their financial lives. A former lawyer, Elke brings a sharp legal mind and a deep sense of empathy to her work, integrating wealth planning, tax strategy, and legacy design through a human lens. She is the host of the Get Your House in Order podcast, where she explores money, leadership, and purpose with thought leaders and change-makers. Passionate about giving back, Elke is also a dedicated philanthropist, co-chairing Fashion Heals for SickKids and championing causes that build stronger, more intentional communities.

Connect with Elke

You can connect with Elke on LinkedIn at Elke E Rubach and follow Elke on Instagram at Elke Rubach, Rubach Wealth and X at Rubach Wealth. For more information on working with Elke, visit her website at Rubach Wealth.

Karen Covy is a Divorce Coach and Consultant, Lawyer, Author, and Speaker who is dedicated to helping people make the best decisions possible for themselves, their families, and their future - especially in stressful times. You can check out Karen's videos on YouTube.

You can connect with Karen on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and on her own website at karencovy.com.