Divorce Day 2026: The Five Things You Need to Know on Day One with Susan Guthrie on Divorce & Beyond #403

It is Divorce Day. January 5, 2026. And if you are listening on the day this episode drops, divorce is everywhere. It is on the news, across social media, whispered in conversations, and quietly sitting in the background for many people as the holidays come to an end. Here is a simple truth: Divorce Day creates more noise than clarity. This episode is designed to help you slow down, get oriented, and understand what actually matters on Day One. In fact, after more than three decades as a divorce attorney and mediator, Susan Guthrie knows this truth better than anyone: Advice is loud. Opinions are everywhere. Much of what circulates today is designed to provoke urgency, fear, or dramatic action. The biggest mistake people make on Divorce Day is believing this day requires action. It does not. What it requires is understanding. In this grounded, compassionate solo episode, Susan walks listeners through the five things you need to know on Day One, sharing the foundational truths that separate people who navigate divorce intentionally from those who spend years undoing a rushed beginning. If divorce is on your mind today, this episode offers clarity, steadiness, and permission to pause. IN THIS EPISODE, YOU WILL LEARN: Why Divorce Day is about readiness, not action, and how confusing the two leads to regret rather than relief.Why information must come before strategy, and how accurate, jurisdiction-specific knowledge calms fear and prevents avoidable mistakes.How the way divorce begins shapes everything that follows, including tone, communication, and long-term outcomes.Why divorce is not one decision but a series of decisions, and how choosing how you decide matters more than deciding everything at once.Why your divorce team matters more than you think, and how choosing the wrong professionals early can cost years of stress and unnecessary expense. MORE SUPPORT: If today’s episode resonated with you, Susan has also written a companion blog article titled Before You Say Anything: The Conversations That Can Make or Break Your Divorce, which explores why the earliest conversations often shape the entire divorce process. We have paired it with a free downloadable guide, Before You Say Anything: A Divorce Conversation Prep Guide, designed to help you slow down, choose your words intentionally, and protect your options before anything is filed. You can find them on the website at https://divorceandbeyondpod.com/Blog MENTIONED EPISODES: The Divorce & Beyond episode archive is designed to support you at the very beginning of this process, when questions feel overwhelming and clarity feels out of reach and as you move through your divorce journey. Inside the archive, you will find conversations like: Divorce Triage: Who to Call First and How to Build the Right Support Team with Susan Guthrie”We Need to Talk:” How to Have the Most Difficult Conversation of Your Life with Kate AnthonyWhen Divorce Gets Messy: Why Litigation Is Sometimes the Only Answer with Leading Attorney, Marc Garelick You can search the full Divorce & Beyond archive by topic at divorceandbeyondpod.com and start with the episodes that speak most directly to where you are right now. ===================== Make the Most of Your Listening Experience: If this episode resonates with you, be sure to: Subscribe to Divorce & Beyond so you never miss an episode.Share this episode with friends or loved ones who need hope and healing.Leave a 5-star review to help us reach even more listeners. Follow Us Online: Divorce & Beyond: https://divorceandbeyondpod.com,IG: @divorceandbeyondpod Meet Our Host Susan E. Guthrie®, Esq. is one of the nation’s leading family law and mediation experts, with more than 35 years of experience helping individuals and families navigate divorce and conflict with clarity and compassion. She is the Immediate Past Chair of the American Bar Association Section of Dispute Resolution, a best-selling author, and a sought-after speaker, trainer, and practice-building consultant. Susan recently appeared as the featured expert on The Oprah Podcast, where she shared her insights on gray divorce and the changing landscape of relationships. Her expertise has also been featured in The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, The Washington Post, NewsNation, and NBC’s Chicago Today, among many others. As the creator and host of the award-winning Divorce & Beyond® Podcast, ranked in the top 1% of all podcasts worldwide with more than 3.4 million downloads, Susan brings together top experts and powerful personal stories to help listeners move through divorce and beyond with confidence, insight, and hope. Learn more about Susan and her work at susaneguthrie.com. Divorce & Beyond is a Top 1% Overall and Top 100 Self-Help podcast designed to help you with all you need to know to navigate your divorce journey and most importantly, to thrive in your beautiful beyond! ***************************************************************************** A ...