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Published on:

12th Jul 2022

Becoming Divorce with Claire Samuels

In today’s episode, we are joined by Claire Samuels, an attorney with a background in family law and divorce mediation. Claire talks to us about how she approaches divorce and mediation through the attitude of “Becoming Divorce” with her clients. She shares with us the fantastic curated community of expert services she provides to her clients, which helps give them all the contacts they may need or want while going through the divorce process. Tune in as we hear about how she provides clients with the support they need to use divorce as a transformation and a catalyst to living their best life.

In this episode:

[1:08] How did Claire come to do her work, and what led her there? [2:43] When Claire started her career, did it look like what it looks like today? [3:55] What does “Becoming Divorce” mean? [5:15] What are the differences between a litigator, mediations, and collaborative law? [11:52] How does Claire work through mediations? [15:05] How Claire turned her love of connecting people into a curated community of expert services for her clients.

Key Takeaways:

Divorce can create an opportunity that is a springboard to transform you into your next best life. Shifting the focus during a divorce to a future-focused lens can significantly affect how you see and approach divorce. Understanding all the services available to you before and after divorce can allow you to feel empowered for what’s ahead. Thinking about what you want around your finances, health, home, and every other area of your life is a great place to focus your mind vs. on all the things that can go wrong during a divorce.

Quotes:

“At a very young age, I knew there had to be a way to do this in a way that preserved what was going to be, not left of a family, what this new redefined family would look like. To try and minimize the trauma, not just for the people going through the divorce, what all the collateral damage seen in an extended family, whether there are children or not.” - Claire Samuels

“Collaborative divorce really means ‘We're going to take the approach that we are in the best position to make decisions for our family’. And it is a commitment with a signed agreement that you will do all things outside of a courtroom.” - Claire Samuels

Becoming Divorce is a view of how can divorce be an opportunity, how it can be a springboard to transform you to your next best life.” - Lesa Koski

“I love the idea of ‘becoming’ and what it means, and I love the idea of it being an opportunity and a springboard.”  - Lesa Koski

Guest Bio:

Claire has made it her mission to refine the divorce experience. She believes divorce offers clients a transformative opportunity to design a positive future for themselves, complete with financial and emotional security.  To this end, she provides her clients with the tools necessary to help them construct a solid foundation on which to build their new life.

Resources:

Claire Samuels Law Website

Claire Samuels Law Facebook

Claire Samuels Law LinkedIn

Claire Samuels Law Instagram

Lesa Koski Website

Mentioned in this episode:

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About the Podcast

Doing Life Different with Lesa Koski
Real conversations for women over 40 about faith, fitness, and fresh starts
Mindset, movement, and faith after 40—because midlife isn’t a crisis, it’s your comeback.

Welcome to Doing Life Different with Lesa Koski, the podcast for women over 40 who are ready to rewrite the rules, reclaim their joy, and rediscover their purpose. Whether you're navigating divorce, rediscovering your health, deepening your faith, or learning how to have fun again—you’re in the right place.

Host Lesa Koski—wife, mom, coach, and seasoned mediator—brings real talk, relatable wisdom, and expert interviews to guide you through midlife reinvention with grace and grit.

In each episode, you’ll get practical tools and empowering conversations on:

Mindset & personal growth

Faith & spiritual connection

Fitness, movement & health

Divorce, marriage & relationships

Fun, purpose & starting fresh in the second half of life

This isn’t just self-help. It’s soul-level transformation. Get ready to do life different—because your next chapter starts now.

Lesa also explores the emotional and physical changes that often accompany midlife and major life shifts. From navigating the impact of menopause on your health, marriage, and mood, to dealing with the loneliness that can come after divorce or empty nesting, you’ll find honest conversations that don’t shy away from real-life challenges. And for those of you in your 40s, 50s, or beyond, you’ll discover what it means to truly build a better life after 40.

Health and wellness are deeply integrated into this journey. Lesa shares insights on the benefits of rest, joy, nutrition, fasting, protein, and bone health, along with the power of movement, community, and exercise to support mental clarity and physical strength. You’ll learn how to take care of yourself with intention—because healing isn’t just emotional, it’s also biological.

Mindset work and self-coaching are recurring tools offered in episodes to help you reframe your story and shift from fear to freedom. And through it all, the show honors the role of faith, spiritual surrender, and letting God lead you through every season. Whether you're leaning into your relationship with God for the first time or deepening a lifelong practice, you’ll hear how surrender can bring peace even in the hardest moments.

You’ll hear real stories from people who have done divorce differently, saved their marriages, or found new love and purpose on the other side. Lesa also brings in conversations about marriages that have stood the test of time, co-parenting through complex seasons, and the realities of parenting after separation while maintaining stability for your kids.

This is a podcast about thriving through Cancer, taking back your life, rewriting your future, and trusting that you’re not starting over, you’re starting better. If you’re craving practical advice, soul-level encouragement, and real conversations about creating a healthy, joyful, purpose-driven life, you’ve found your community.

Subscribe now and join Lesa Koski for weekly episodes that will help you grow stronger in your relationships, your health, and your faith, no matter where you’re starting from.

About the Host:
I’ve spent over 25 years helping families navigate amicable divorce as a lawyer and mediator, always focused on protecting what matters most—your kids and your peace of mind. But my mission has expanded. Today, I support women over 40 not just through endings, but in building stronger relationships—and sometimes even saving their marriages. I’m a breast cancer survivor, a cowgirl at heart, a wellness advocate, and a follower of Jesus. My life and faith fuel my passion for helping women thrive.

About your host

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Lesa Koski