Business Origin Stories for Entrepreneurs, Coaches, and Leaders
122: Divorce as a Business Deal: How to Leave a High-Conflict Partner Strategically with Divorce Strategist Courtney Harkness
Jul 07, 2026
Amy Schutte
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Divorce is one of the most financially and emotionally high-stakes events in a person's life — but most people walk into it completely unprepared. In this episode, Amy sits down with Courtney Harkness, a divorce strategist who helps successful women leave high-conflict partners with clarity, strategy, and their financial future intact.
Courtney shares her own journey from running a private equity-funded business alongside her ex-husband to building a coaching practice rooted in one core belief: your superpower is not reacting.
In this conversation, you'll learn:
- Why going straight to an attorney without preparation can cost you hundreds of thousands of dollars
- The 3-phase coaching framework Courtney uses — emotional regulation, strategy, and execution
- What "parallel parenting" looks like with a high-conflict ex, and why it's more effective than co-parenting
- The love bombing and mirroring patterns that show up at the beginning of toxic relationships
- What business protections to put in place before you need them
- The #1 regret Courtney hears from her clients (and what to do about it)
Courtney also recommends the book Out of the Fog by Dana Morningstar for anyone questioning whether their partner's behavior is truly problematic.
Find Courtney at divorcestrategy.com and on Instagram at @divorce.strategy, and on LinkedIn
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