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

The Truth About Parental Alienation That No One Talks About

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 [https://www.linkedin.com/company/been-there-got-out/] and on Facebook at Been There Got Out [https://www.facebook.com/BeenThereGotOut]. You can follow her on YouTube at @BeenThereGotOut [https://www.youtube.com/@BeenThereGotOut], on X at @BeenThereGotOut [https://twitter.com/BeenThereGotOut], and on Instagram at been_there_got_out [https://www.instagram.com/been_there_got_out/]. To learn more about how to work with Lisa, visit her website at Been There Got Out [https://beentheregotout.com/]. And you can find her latest book, When Your Ex Turns the Kids Against You, here [https://www.amazon.com/Been-There-Got-Out-Against/dp/1967674183/]. 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 [https://www.youtube.com/@karencovy95]. You can connect with Karen on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/karencovy/], Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/KarenCovy], Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/karencovylawyer/], Twitter [https://twitter.com/KarenCovy], and on her own website at karencovy.com [https://karencovy.com/].

Think Using AI in Divorce Saves Money? Think Again

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 [https://www.youtube.com/@karencovy95]. You can connect with Karen on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/karencovy/], Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/KarenCovy], Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/karencovylawyer/], Twitter [https://twitter.com/KarenCovy], and on her own website at karencovy.com [https://karencovy.com/].

How The Best Interest Co-Parenting App Can Give You Peace

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 [https://www.linkedin.com/company/bestinterestapp] and on Facebook at Best Interest App [https://www.facebook.com/bestinterestapp/].  You can follow Sol on Youtube at @BestInterestApp [https://www.youtube.com/@BestInterestApp] and on Instagram at Best Interest App [https://www.instagram.com/bestinterest.app]. To learn more visit the website at Best Interest App [https://bestinterest.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 [https://www.youtube.com/@karencovy95]. You can connect with Karen on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/karencovy/], Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/KarenCovy], Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/karencovylawyer/], Twitter [https://twitter.com/KarenCovy], and on her own website at karencovy.com [https://karencovy.com/].

Your Spouse Is Hiding Money. Here's How to Find It

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 [https://www.linkedin.com/in/tammylynnguns/] and on Facebook at Tammy Guns [https://www.facebook.com/tammy.guns.355/]. You can follow Tammy on YouTube at @tammylynnguns9600 [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfFgTrBRAosHNm-u4poTUhg] and on X at @GunsTammy [https://x.com/GunsTammy]. To learn more about how to work with Tammy, visit her website at Divorce Resource Center of Colorado [https://divorceresourcecentre.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 [https://www.youtube.com/@karencovy95]. You can connect with Karen on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/karencovy/], Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/KarenCovy], Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/karencovylawyer/], Twitter [https://twitter.com/KarenCovy], and on her own website at karencovy.com [https://karencovy.com/].

The Truth About Coercive Control in Divorce

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 [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jolee-e-vacchi-esq/] and on Facebook at Foundations Family Law [https://www.facebook.com/FoundationsFamilyLaw]. You can follow Jolee on YouTube at @FoundationsFamilyLaw [https://www.youtube.com/@FoundationsFamilyLaw], on Instagram at Foundations Family Law [https://www.instagram.com/foundationsfamilylaw] and on her podcast at Divorce Detox [https://divorce-detox.com/].  To learn more about working with Jolee, visit her website at Foundations Family Law [https://foundationsfamilylaw.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 [https://www.youtube.com/@karencovy95]. You can connect with Karen on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/karencovy/], Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/KarenCovy], Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/karencovylawyer/], Twitter [https://twitter.com/KarenCovy], and on her own website at karencovy.com [https://karencovy.com/].