Off the Fence with Karen Covy: Mastering Decision Making, Divorce & More

Feeling buried in debt can make you believe you have no way out … and that’s exactly when you make the biggest financial mistakes. In this podcast episode, attorney William (Bill) Mitchell draws on decades of experience helping both consumers and debt relief companies to explain why so many people end up overwhelmed by debt, and why the right solution depends on your specific financial situation. 

Instead of treating debt relief as a one-size-fits-all problem, Bill breaks down the four primary options available for getting out of debt, from debt consolidation loans and credit counseling to debt settlement and bankruptcy. He also explains which option is best for which situation. Bill reveals how rising credit card interest rates, aggressive marketing, and common misconceptions can quietly trap people in a cycle that becomes harder to escape the longer they wait. 

The discussion goes beyond debt relief to explore real-world financial decisions that can have lasting consequences, especially during major life transitions like divorce. From handling joint credit card debt and protecting your credit to avoiding predatory debt relief companies and choosing the smartest way to borrow money in a crisis, you'll come away with practical insights that could save you thousands of dollars—and help you make better financial decisions when the stakes are highest. 

About Bill

William R. (“Bill”) Mitchell is a seasoned attorney with more than two decades of experience helping individuals and businesses find financial freedom and stability. A nationally recognized expert in debt relief and settlement, Bill has guided thousands of consumers toward reducing or eliminating their debt burdens. As one of the few lawyers who has represented both major debt resolution companies and the consumers they serve, he brings a unique 360-degree understanding of the industry to his advocacy. Beyond debt relief, Bill is a trusted business attorney who advises small and mid-sized privately held companies on everything from business formation and financial transactions to contract negotiation and dispute resolution. 

Connect with Bill

You can follow Bill on YouTube at @LegalEdgeDebtSolutions and on Instagram at legaledgedebtsolutions. You can also purchase his book, Say Goodbye to Credit Card Debt: How to Outsmart the Banks and Avoid Their Traps on Amazon.

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.

Most people going through divorce focus on finding a good attorney … but that might be the single biggest financial mistake you make. Jamie Lima, certified divorce financial analyst, certified financial planner, and co-founder of SecureSplit, knows that from personal experience. Watching his parents' divorce strain the family financially, then going through his own costly split in 2017, shaped everything about how he now helps people navigate the financial side of divorce so they can get a better divorce settlement.

In this podcast episode, Jamie breaks down why relying solely on your attorney can cause you to leave serious money on the table, what a divorce financial team actually looks like, and how AI and specialized software are beginning to reshape divorce-related financial analysis. 

Jamie also talks about SecureSplit,  a platform he designed to eliminate the expensive duplication of effort that happens when attorneys, CDFAs, and clients are all working in disconnected systems. He also pulls back the curtain on how AI is quietly reshaping divorce proceedings in ways most people aren't prepared for.

From how to prompt AI tools so they actually give you useful information, to the privacy risks most people never consider, to why your ChatGPT history could end up as evidence in your own case, Jamie offers a surprisingly practical (and at times very sobering!) look at what it means to be a smart, informed advocate for yourself in a modern divorce. The tools are powerful. The mistakes are costly. And knowing exactly what you're doing is critical.

About Jamie

Jamie Lima launched Allegiant Divorce Solutions as a sister company to his traditional financial planning firm after navigating his parents' divorce at a young age and experiencing his own emotionally and financially draining divorce in 2017. With nearly 20 years of financial planning experience, Jamie intimately understands the immense financial challenges individuals face during a split. Realizing that the costly mistakes made in his own divorce could have been avoided with the right support, he became a Certified Divorce Financial Analyst®. Today, Jamie is dedicated to helping clients navigate the complex financial aspects of divorce to secure fair settlements with significantly less stress.

Connect with Jamie

You can connect with Jamie on LinkedIn at Jamie Lima and follow him on Instagram at Allegiant Divorce. To learn more about how to work with Jamie, visit his websites at Allegiant Divorce Solutions and SecureSplit.

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.

If you've ever set a boundary that someone ignored, and then felt stuck between becoming a doormat or issuing an ultimatum, this podcast episode is for you. Licensed psychotherapist Dr. Sharon Martin joins the show to talk about healthy boundaries: what they really are, why so many people struggle with them, and why the way most of us think about boundaries is making holding our boundaries harder, not easier. 

Dr. Martin unpacks why boundary problems show up differently for different people, and why the same person can swing between being a pushover and being rigid depending on the situation. She also explores the hidden ways boundary problems develop, including enmeshment, codependency, guilt, perfectionism, and past relational wounds. 

Dr. Martin also reveals how healthy boundaries are less about controlling other people and more about understanding your own needs and focusing on what you can control. Through practical examples, including parenting, workplace conflicts, and high-conflict divorce situations, Dr. Martin demonstrates how small shifts in perspective can lead to greater freedom, less frustration, and healthier relationships. The result is a fresh and empowering framework that may change the way you think about boundaries altogether. 

About Dr. Sharon

Dr. Sharon Martin, LCSW, is a licensed psychotherapist who specializes in helping adults recover from the effects of a difficult childhood, overcome feelings of unworthiness, and learn to set boundaries. She writes extensively about codependency, perfectionism, and healthy relationships, including her popular blog, “Conquering Codependency,” for Psychology Today. Dr. Martin is also the author of four self-help books, including The CBT Workbook for Perfectionism.

Connect with Dr. Sharon

You can connect with Dr. Sharon on LinkedIn at Sharon Martin, LCSW and on Facebook at Sharon Martin, LCSW. You can also follow her on YouTube at @SharonMartin and on Instagram at dr_sharon_martin. To learn more about working with Dr. Sharon, visit her website at Live Well with Sharon Martin. And you can find her book, The Better Boundaries Workbook, here. It is also available at most bookstores.

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.

If your child has started pulling away from you, or saying things that sound nothing like them, you may already know something is deeply wrong, even if you can't prove it yet. In this podcast episode, high-conflict divorce strategist and domestic violence advocate Lisa Johnson, explores the complicated reality of parental alienation and explains why it’s often far more subtle (and more difficult to recognize) than most people realize. She shares how seemingly small actions and unspoken messages can slowly damage a child’s relationship with a parent over time. 

Rather than focusing on labels or accusations, Lisa dives into what actually matters to judges and custody evaluators: patterns of behavior, their impact on children, and the practical challenges families face when conflict spills into co-parenting. You'll discover why proving parental alienation can be so difficult, how children can become caught in the middle without fully understanding what's happening, and why some of the most damaging behaviors are often the hardest to see. 

The conversation also offers thoughtful strategies for parents who want to protect and strengthen their bond with their children during and after divorce. From improving communication to encouraging critical thinking and resilience, Lisa shares practical ideas that can help parents respond more effectively when relationships become strained. If you've ever wondered how children are affected by ongoing parental conflict, or what parents can do to help, this discussion provides insights that may challenge what you think you know. 

About Lisa

Lisa Johnson is the co-founder of Been There Got Out, a high-conflict divorce strategist, and a certified domestic violence advocate specializing in legal abuse. She dedicates her expertise to helping individuals navigate situations where an ex uses the legal system to wear them down and deplete their resources. Alongside her partner, Chris, Lisa coaches people through high-conflict relationships, divorce, custody battles, and difficult co-parenting situations. Her ultimate goal is to help clients secure the best possible outcomes in family court while lowering conflict to protect the well-being of their children.

Connect with Lisa

You can connect with Lisa on LinkedIn at Been There Got Out and on Facebook at Been There Got Out. You can follow her on YouTube at @BeenThereGotOut, on X at @BeenThereGotOut, and on Instagram at been_there_got_out. To learn more about how to work with Lisa, visit her website at Been There Got Out. And you can find her latest book, When Your Ex Turns the Kids Against You, here.

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.

If you've ever thought about using AI in your divorce to save money on legal fees, this podcast episode might drastically change the way you do it. Family law attorney Hillary Moonay, who co-chairs the Family Law Group at Obermeyer Rebman Maxwell & Hippol LLP and has spent 30 years in the trenches of Pennsylvania family law, shares the hidden risks AI poses in divorce cases, especially to clients who accidentally don’t use it well.

From privacy concerns to unintended legal consequences, Hillary explains where AI can create risks that most people never see coming. For example, uploading a custody evaluation to ChatGPT could expose your children to fraud. Using an AI bot to analyze what your attorney told you can dissolve your attorney-client privilege. Having AI draft your legal documents can produce legal garbage and end up costing you MORE than if you hadn’t used it at all.

Hillary breaks down the difference between using AI as a helpful organizational tool versus relying on it to make legal decisions, while highlighting the hidden details and nuances that generic AI-generated documents often miss. 

If you're navigating divorce and trying to be smart about costs, this conversation offers a much clearer picture of where AI helps, where it hurts, and what questions to ask.

About Hillary

Hillary Moonay co-chairs Obermayer’s Family Law Group and manages the firm's Bucks County office. Her practice focuses exclusively on family law, all phases of the negotiation and litigation of domestic relations cases, including divorce, child custody, child support, alimony/spousal support, equitable distribution, prenuptial and postnuptial agreements, mediation, arbitration, and related issues. Moonay is the Past Chair of the PBA’s Family Law Section and serves on the Board of Managers for the AAML’s Pennsylvania Chapter. She also serves on the Domestic Relations Law Advisory Committee of the Joint State Government Commission, the bipartisan research agency of the Pennsylvania General Assembly.

Connect with Hillary

You can connect with Hillary through her LinkedIn page or through Obermayer's website at www.obermayer.com.

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.

If you've ever felt your heart race the moment a message pinged from your co-parent, you already understand the problem that Sol Kennedy set out to solve. Sol is the founder of the Best Interest Co-parenting App, an AI-powered app born directly from his own high-conflict divorce experience.

When you’re locked in a high-conflict coparenting relationship you know all too well how quickly a simple logistics message can turn into a 30-text argument that ruins your day and spills into your parenting. Traditional co-parenting apps didn’t address the specific needs found in high-conflict co-parenting so Sol created an app that does. 

The Best Interest Co-Parenting App gives you AI coaching before you send a message, tone checks that help you say what you mean without escalating a conversation, and instant awareness of any potential parenting plan violations your conversation might trigger. It reviews outgoing messages for conflict triggers before you hit send, and filters incoming ones, stripping away charged language so you only see what's actually relevant to your kids. 

And the best part of the app is that you don't even need your co-parent to download the app for it to work.

If you’re locked in a high-conflict co-parenting situation and every message your ex sends ties your stomach in knots, this conversation, and the Best Interest Co-Parenting App can literally change your life.

About Sol

Sol Kennedy is the founder of BestInterest, an AI-powered co-parenting app designed to reduce conflict and protect children from the emotional fallout of high-conflict separation. Sol's mission is simple: help parents move beyond reactive communication, protect their peace, and create calmer outcomes for their kids—even when the relationship between adults is strained. 

Connect with Sol

You can connect with Sol on LinkedIn at Best Interest App and on Facebook at Best Interest App.  You can follow Sol on Youtube at @BestInterestApp and on Instagram at Best Interest App. To learn more visit the website at Best Interest App.

Special offer

BestInterest is an app that helps co-parents to communicate and experience peace in their co-parenting relationship. It is available for download in the App Store or Play Store, or at https://bestinterest.app/app. Get $10 off by entering code OFFTHEFENCE

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.

Money has a way of exposing the secrets people work hardest to hide. In this conversation, certified divorce financial analyst Tammy Guns explains how financial manipulation, hidden assets, and business income games often show up long before a divorce is finalized. Drawing from her own divorce experience and years of courtroom testimony as an expert witness, Tammy shares how she helps uncover the financial stories buried inside bank records, business accounts, and spending patterns. If your spouse is hiding money in your divorce, Tammy can help you find it.

The discussion digs into the realities of divorce cases involving business owners, hidden income, and financial abuse. Tammy explains how personal expenses are often buried inside businesses, why a lifestyle analysis can reveal income that tax returns don’t show, and how judges rely on experts to translate complicated financial records into clear, understandable stories. She also breaks down how financial “strangulation” happens in divorce and why so many people enter the process without truly understanding their own finances. 

What makes this conversation especially compelling is how practical and eye-opening it becomes. Tammy shares real-world examples involving hidden crypto, missing cash, suspicious spending, overseas assets, and even luxury lifestyles that don’t match reported income. But underneath all the courtroom drama is a bigger message: the more financially informed you are before and during divorce, the more power and peace of mind you’re likely to have when difficult decisions need to be made. 

If the financial picture in your divorce isn’t adding up, this is a podcast episode you’re not going to want to miss.

About Tammy

Tammy Guns is a Certified Divorce Financial Analyst (CDFA®) who specializes in helping individuals navigate the financial complexities of divorce with clarity and confidence. She works closely with clients and legal professionals to analyze assets, income, and long-term financial outcomes, ensuring informed and equitable decisions. Tammy is committed to empowering her clients with the knowledge and strategies they need to secure a stable financial future beyond divorce. 

Connect with Tammy

You can connect with Tammy on LinkedIn at Tammy Lynn Guns and on Facebook at Tammy Guns. You can follow Tammy on YouTube at @tammylynnguns9600 and on X at @GunsTammy. To learn more about how to work with Tammy, visit her website at Divorce Resource Center of Colorado.

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.

If you've ever felt like you were losing your mind in your relationship - questioning your own memory, shrinking your social circle, or blaming yourself for your partner's moods - there's a name for that. It’s called coercive control.

In this podcast episode, Jolee Vacchi, family law attorney and founder of Foundations Family Law and Mediation Center in Worcester, Massachusetts, explains how coercive control (including manipulation, gaslighting, and emotional intimidation) slowly chips away at a person’s confidence, relationships, and sense of autonomy without ever leaving visible bruises. She breaks down the subtle behaviors that often get dismissed as “normal relationship problems” and explains why so many people stay stuck far longer than they ever imagined. 

Jolee also tackles one of the most counterintuitive questions in high-conflict divorce: is going to court actually the right move when your spouse thrives on control? (Her answer might surprise you.)

Jolee also discloses specific strategies that can shift the power dynamic when you're up against someone who knows exactly how to weaponize the legal system.

From parenting coordinators to protective orders to keeping yourself sane while living under the same roof during divorce proceedings, this conversation is packed with practical, eye-opening guidance. Whether you're in the thick of your divorce or just starting to ask hard questions, this episode will help you understand what you're dealing with, and what your options actually are.

About Jolee

Jolee Vacchi is known as "The Compassionate Divorce Attorney." She is the Founding Attorney of Foundations Family Law & Mediation Center located in Worcester, Massachusetts. As a mediator, Collaboratively-trained attorney, and Coercive Control Trauma-Informed Attorney, Jolee focuses her practice on out-of-court solutions for her clients to resolve their family law conflicts as painlessly and peacefully as possible.

Connect with Jolee

You can connect with Jolee on LinkedIn at Jolee E. Vacchi, Esq and on Facebook at Foundations Family Law. You can follow Jolee on YouTube at @FoundationsFamilyLaw, on Instagram at Foundations Family Law and on her podcast at Divorce Detox.  To learn more about working with Jolee, visit her website at Foundations Family Law.    

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 happens when a divorce doesn't just end a marriage but threatens to end a parent's right to stay in the same country as their child? In this podcast episode, Seattle-based family law attorney Lucia Levias explains what happens when divorce and immigration collide. 

Immigration status, visas, and international custody issues can turn an already painful divorce into something far more complicated. Lucia shares real-life stories of families caught between countries, courts, and conflicting laws, while also showing how thoughtful planning can prevent devastating outcomes. 

With a personal connection to binational families and years of experience in Collaborative Divorce, Lucia has seen firsthand how a dependent visa can become a weapon or a lifeline, depending on how a divorce is handled.

Lucia explains how a structured, team-based legal process like Collaborative Divorce can bring immigration attorneys, financial neutrals, and family coaches to the same table, creating solutions that a courtroom simply can't offer. 

Lucia also dives into another fear that keeps many American-born parents up at night: What if my co-parent takes our kids abroad and doesn't come back? Discover how the Hague Convention, court orders, passport policies, and travel bonds can help parents guard against worst-case scenarios.

If you, your spouse, or both of you, are from different countries, this podcast episode is a MUST to listen to. There's a lot more nuance at the intersection of immigration and family law than most people expect, and knowing it in advance can make all the difference.

About Lucia

Lucia Ramirez Levias is a collaboratively trained divorce attorney and partner at DuBois Levias Law Group, a woman-owned boutique family law firm in Seattle. Her passion is helping families navigate divorce with dignity, clarity, and fairness—because “I know firsthand the lifelong impact these transitions have on children and parents alike.”

As a collaborative divorce attorney, she guides couples through a structured, team-based process that keeps decisions in their hands—not the courtroom. Lucia’s goal is to de-escalate conflict, ensure financial security, and help families build agreements that support their futures. Divorce is a pivotal moment in a family’s life—but with the right guidance, it can be a positive transition. 

Lucia was admitted to the Washington State Bar Association in 2006 and has practiced family law exclusively since 2008. She serves on the Board of Collaborative Professionals of Washington and YMCA or Greater Seattle, is a member of the King County Collaborative Law section, as well as the Cascadia Collaborative Practice Group.

Connect with Lucia

You can connect with Lucia on LinkedIn at Lucia Ramirez Levias and follow her on YouTube at @DuBoisLeviasDivorce.  To learn more about how to work with Lucia, visit her website at DuBois Levias Divorce.

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.

Have you ever noticed that the more you talk about your problems, the bigger they seem to get? Master Certified Coach Claire Pedrick has spent over 30 years helping people figure out why that happens and (more importantly), what to do about it. Her approach to getting unstuck is surprisingly simple, and that's exactly what makes it so powerful.

Claire introduces the idea of "right-sizing" problems by asking one small, focused question instead of trying to solve everything at once. She explains why talking to friends about your struggles can actually keep you stuck longer, what it means to be in the "soup," and why the path forward almost never looks like the big dramatic leap we imagine it will.

Claire also gets into the role emotions play in decision-making. She talks about why venting has real value, why it needs boundaries, and why sometimes the best way to process grief has nothing to do with talking at all. 

If you've been spinning in your head about your marriage, divorce, or any other major life decision, and you just can’t seem to break through to get an answer you feel good about, this conversation offers a fresh way of looking at what's keeping you stuck so you can finally move forward.

About Claire

Claire Pedrick doesn’t fix, direct, or diagnose. Instead, she helps people right-size problems so they can see clearly, take ownership, and move forward.  Her mission is bold: to replace outdated, coach-led models with simple, effective conversations that keep power where it belongs, with the person being coached.

Claire models radical partnership. She is especially interested in presence. The kind that holds space without holding control, and teaches how to lead in partnership, even when the power isn’t equal.

Connect with Claire

You can connect with Clair on LinkedIn at Claire Pedrick and on Facebook at 3D Coaching.  You can follow Claire on YouTube at @3DCoaching and on Instagram at 3D Coaching.  To learn more about how to work with Claire, visit her website at 3D Coaching.

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.