Family Court - What to Expect: The Good, Bad, and Ridiculous

Family court is the one place you hope you never have to spend much time — but for many of us, it’s unavoidable. In this episode of The After Wife, we’re pulling back the curtain on what it’s really like to navigate the system: the endless pretrials, the magic-show distractions, and the emotional toll it takes — especially for survivors of abuse.

We’ll talk about:

• The difference between dissolution and divorce — and why most survivors end up in divorce

• The slow grind of pretrials and attorney conferences where nothing seems to move forward

• How discovery delays and document requests can be used as control tactics

• Why family court is the only court that expects you to stay in contact with your abuser — and judges you for it

• Kylie’s personal experience of being asked by a magistrate if she could forgive her abuser

• The role of GALs — the good, the bad, and the expensive

• The reforms we wish we could see, including accountability, trauma-informed training, and a shift to focus on children’s best interests

Because the process isn’t just broken — it’s exhausting. And if you’ve ever felt like you were losing your mind in the middle of it, you are not alone.