About this episode

Karen Chellew and Catherine Shanahan reflect on ten years of insights about money and marriage, emphasizing the importance of financial clarity in relationships.

After 200 episodes and a decade of helping thousands of individuals navigate one of life’s most difficult transitions, Karen Chellew and Catherine Shanahan step back from the typical divorce topic to explore the deeper patterns they have witnessed over the last 10 years. The biggest realization? Divorce was never only about divorce. It has always been about clarity. Too often, the financial disconnect in a marriage begins long before anyone contacts an attorney or files paperwork. It starts when one person manages the finances, assumptions replace conversations, and financial transparency slowly disappears. In this special 200th episode, Karen and Catherine share the most important lessons they have learned from working with more than 5,000 clients across all 50 states. They discuss why financial preparation should be a lifelong practice—not a divorce task—and why trusting your spouse should never mean losing your own understanding of your financial life. They also reveal the costly mistakes they see repeatedly in divorce: relying on spreadsheets instead of verification, assuming an attorney will create financial clarity, entering mediation without complete information, and…

People in this episode

Hosts: Karen Chellew, Catherine Shanahan

Topics covered

• money and marriage
• financial transparency
• divorce preparation
• financial knowledge
• client experiences
• long-term impact of decisions

Keywords

• divorce
• financial disconnect
• financial preparation
• trust in marriage
• costly mistakes
• financial clarity
• client lessons

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: My Divorce Solution

Places: 50 states

More episodes of We Chat Divorce Podcast

• 204. Should You Move Money Before Divorce? Why One-Off Financial Advice Backfires · July 15, 2026 · 24 min
• 203. Why Clients Leave Good Attorneys: Communication, Financial Clarity & AI in Divorce with Jessica Marshall · July 8, 2026 · 37 min
• 202. Inheritance and Divorce: What Gray Divorce Couples Don't Know Can Cost Them · July 1, 2026 · 24 min
• 201. Is This Gaslighting? How to Recognize, Document, and Protect Yourself in High-Conflict Divorce · June 24, 2026 · 31 min

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the We Chat Divorce Podcast podcast page.