{"podcast":{"title":"Divorce Happens","slug":"divorce-happens-6931880","podcast_index_feed_id":6931880,"rss_url":"https://feeds.captivate.fm/divorce-happens/","website_url":"https://www.freshstartsregistry.com/divorce-happens","image_url":"https://artwork.captivate.fm/4ef67130-0ef6-4ddc-8223-01a75a67ba34/show-cover.jpg","author":"Fresh Starts Registry","episode_count":254,"summary":"Welcome to Divorce Happens, the podcast where we inspire, educate, and support you through divorce and beyond so that you can start fresh on the next phase of your journey. Produced by Fresh Starts Registry, the only divorce registry platform for everything you need to begin again, including home items, hype team, and everything in between. Remember, divorce happens...and then, we start fresh. We're here to support you before, during, and after divorce. Hosted by Olivia Dreizen Howell, the co-founder and CEO of Fresh Starts Registry.","last_synced_at":"2026-06-16T10:17:32.089801+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/divorce-happens-6931880"},"episode":{"title":"Hey Olivia, My Husband Just Said He's Leaving — What Do I Do First?","slug":"hey-olivia-my-husband-just-said-he-s-leaving-what-do-i-do-first","published_at":"2026-06-14T14:55:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/divorce-happens-6931880/hey-olivia-my-husband-just-said-he-s-leaving-what-do-i-do-first","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/divorce-happens-6931880","url":"https://www.freshstartsregistry.com/divorce-happens","audio_url":"https://episodes.captivate.fm/episode/f197b114-b8b4-4557-b2e3-b6559fe5ad5a.mp3","summary":"What do you do in the first 24 hours after your spouse says they're leaving? In this solo \"Hey Olivia\" episode of Divorce Happens, Olivia Howell answers a letter from a woman who was standing at the stove making dinner when her husband walked in, told her he wants \"a new life,\" and said she could keep the kids and the house. She hasn't cried yet. She thinks she's in shock. And she just needs someone to tell her what to do first. If you've been blindsided by divorce and can't think straight, this episode is for you. Olivia walks through exactly what matters in the first 24 to 48 hours after being blindsided — starting with the most important truth: nothing your spouse said in that moment is legally decided, final, or binding. She covers why shock is your nervous system protecting you (not weakness), why tonight's only job is getting through tonight, and the concrete first steps that protect you: tell one safe person, don't agree to or sign anything, start documenting what was said, and keep things simple and loving with the kids. And she offers a reframe for the hardest part — the words \"a new life\" — reminding you that a spouse's choice to leave is information about him, not a verdict on your worth. IN THIS EPISODE: Why that strange, blank \"calm\" after a blindside is shock — and exactly what your nervous system is doing Why nothing your spouse said in the moment (\"you can have the kids and the house\") is a legal agreement or final decision The single most important rule tonight: make no decisions and sign nothing Telling one safe person and why you need a witness right now How to start documenting what was said — simply, in a notes app, dated What to say to your kids in hour one when you don't have answers yet The reframe for \"he wants a new life\": his restlessness liv…","meta_description":"What do you do in the first 24 hours after your spouse says they're leaving? In this solo \"Hey Olivia\" episode of Divorce Happens, Olivia Howell answers a…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":447,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/divorce-happens-6931880/episodes/hey-olivia-my-husband-just-said-he-s-leaving-what-do-i-do-first/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/divorce-happens-6931880/hey-olivia-my-husband-just-said-he-s-leaving-what-do-i-do-first.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}