Episode 313: Divorce Without Court: Is It Really Possible? with Andrea Vacca
The Divorce Survival Guide Podcast
Kate Anthony
4.4 • 573 Ratings
🗓️ 6 March 2025
⏱️ 41 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Andrea Vacca returns to explore amicable divorce solutions, even in high-conflict cases. While avoiding litigation is often the goal, sometimes it's unavoidable. Andrea breaks down the benefits of staying out of court, how to keep children at the center, and when it's time to shift from collaboration or mediation to litigation.
Together, we also explore the power of a team-based approach and the role of a divorce coach, specifically how a coach can save you time, money, and energy! With her expertise in collaborative divorce and positive psychology, Andrea offers a fresh, empowering take on navigating divorce without court.
You'll also hear:
- The misconception that all high-conflict divorces must go to court, and what it really takes to stay out of litigation (5:08)
- Why mediation isn't always the best fit for high-conflict couples and what alternative approaches may work better (8:53)
- The power of a team approach, including the role of a divorce coach in navigating conflict (11:20)
- Strategies for keeping children at the center of decisions (32:29)
Learn more about Andrea Vacca: Andrea Vacca is the founder of Vacca Family Law Group in Manhattan, a boutique law firm focused on non-adversarial divorce and family law matters including divorce, separation, and prenuptial and postnuptial agreements. With a background in traditional divorce litigation, Andrea now exclusively helps her clients find amicable divorce solutions outside of court. She is a widely recognized collaborative divorce attorney and mediator, former President of the New York Association of Collaborative Professionals, author of the book Divorce Without Court: A More Peaceful Solution, and creator and host of "A Better Divorce" podcast. In addition to her law degree, Andrea holds a Certificate in Positive Psychology and recently became a Certified Positive Psychology Coach. Andrea regularly applies Positive Psychology principles in her work to help her clients navigate divorce, including having a growth mindset, being resilient, and encouraging mindfulness, helping them emerge stronger and more empowered.
Resources & Links:
Unbreakable – the Divorce Recovery Retreat, Sedona, AZ in April 2025
Submit your questions here for possible inclusion in future Q&A podcast episodes
Focused Strategy Sessions with Kate
Phoenix Rising: A Divorce Empowerment Collective
Andrea's website, Vacca Family Law Group
Get a free digital copy of Andrea's book, Divorce Without Court: A More Peaceful Solution
Andrea on Facebook
Andrea on Instagram
Andrea on LinkedIn
Andrea on YouTube
===================
DISCLAIMER: THE COMMENTARY AND OPINIONS AVAILABLE ON THIS PODCAST ARE FOR INFORMATIONAL AND ENTERTAINMENT PURPOSES ONLY AND NOT FOR THE PURPOSE OF PROVIDING LEGAL OR PSYCHOLOGICAL ADVICE. YOU SHOULD CONTACT AN ATTORNEY, COACH, OR THERAPIST IN YOUR STATE TO OBTAIN ADVICE WITH RESPECT TO ANY PARTICULAR ISSUE OR PROBLEM.
Episode link:
https://kateanthony.com/podcast/episode-313-divorce-without-court-is-it-really-possible-with-andrea-vacca
Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | I want every one of my clients to have a coach. |
| 0:04.5 | I am not just a believer. |
| 0:06.5 | It's not a belief. |
| 0:07.4 | It's just a knowing that you will do so much better because having a therapist is a wonderful thing to do. |
| 0:15.3 | But the therapist is really looking at your past, helping you to heal so that you don't keep making those same mistakes |
| 0:22.7 | going forward. The divorce coach is dealing with the present, needs to be informed about the past, |
| 0:28.5 | of course, but is like, where are you now and where do you want to go? So they're just moving you in |
| 0:34.2 | the direction that you are headed, which is the future. Not so much about the past. |
| 0:38.7 | So I want everyone to have a coach. |
| 0:40.9 | It will help you set reasonable goals. |
| 0:44.2 | Help you focus on yourself so you're not always caught up in what the responses that you're getting or what he's doing to you. |
| 0:55.2 | Welcome to the Divorce Survival Guide podcast, where we have open and honest conversations |
| 1:01.4 | about co-parenting, separation, divorce, and the hardest question of all, should you |
| 1:07.2 | stay or should you go? |
| 1:09.2 | I'm Kate Anthony, your divorce survival guide, |
| 1:12.5 | and I'm here to help you navigate some of the roughest waters you've ever swum in |
| 1:16.8 | and answer some of your toughest questions. |
| 1:20.0 | I've been to hell and back, |
| 1:21.8 | and now it's my mission in life to help you get to the other side of this process |
| 1:26.7 | with your sanity and your heart intact. |
| 1:36.7 | Hey, everyone, welcome back. So before we dive into today's episode, I just have a quick update |
| 1:42.8 | about the future of this podcast |
... |
Please login to see the full transcript.
Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Kate Anthony, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.
Generated transcripts are the property of Kate Anthony and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.
Copyright © Tapesearch 2026.