122: Divorce as a Business Deal: How to Leave a High-Conflict Partner Strategically with Divorce Strategist Courtney Harkness

Business Origin Stories for Entrepreneurs, Coaches, and Leaders

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

Send us Fan Mail

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

Instagram: 

@amyschutte_

Work with us: www.hudsonandco.co



Episode Artwork 122: Divorce as a Business Deal: How to Leave a High-Conflict Partner Strategically with Divorce Strategist Courtney Harkness 31:22 Episode Artwork 121: What Great Leaders Know About Themselves with Jason Daily 44:53 Episode Artwork 120: The Second Act: Helping Women Return to Work with Confidence 31:40 Episode Artwork 119: The Courage to Realign: Tucker Branham on Values, Leadership, and Designing a Life That Fits 37:32 Episode Artwork 118: The Founder-to-CEO Transition: Leadership Lessons for Growing Marketing Agencies with Dan Newman 33:15 Episode Artwork 117: From Performance to Service: Executive Presence, Leadership Communication, and Confidence with Katya Davydova 27:07 Episode Artwork 116: Leadership Under Pressure: David Fivecoat on Battlefield Lessons, Grit, and Decisive Leadership 41:00 Episode Artwork 115: Legacy Is a Verb: Rethinking Philanthropy, Wealth, and Giving with Elena Fracchia 45:40 Episode Artwork 114: Build Leaders Before You Need Them: Why Mentorship Can’t Wait with Randy Hain 32:57 Episode Artwork 113: Why the Entry-Level Hiring Playbook Is Broken and How to Help Young Professionals Land Jobs in Today’s Market with Chris Greene 35:59 Episode Artwork 112: Conscious Leadership: Why High Achievers Must Slow Down to Lead Better with Claudia Beck 30:26 Episode Artwork 111: Time, Money, and Freedom: Building a Business That Actually Fits Your Life with Carrie Veatch 36:47 Episode Artwork 110: Take Back 10–30% of Your Time: Removing the Drama and Trauma of People Management with Neil Katz 31:16 Episode Artwork 109: AI Readiness Over Hype: Why 90% of AI Projects Fail and How to Get It Right with Matt Murphy 55:56 Episode Artwork 108: From CEO to Zen Coach: Peter Corbett on Identity, Exit, and Sustainable Well-Being 38:59 Episode Artwork 107: A Leadership Framework for Fixing Broken Organizations with Mark McFatridge 31:54 Episode Artwork 106: Julie Jakopic on Worthiness, Joy, and Leading Without Living in Crisis 33:46 Episode Artwork 105: Find Your Frequency: How to Cut Through the Noise Without Copying Anyone Else with Macy Robison 40:30 Episode Artwork 104: When Survival Leadership Stops Working with Traci Phillips 50:57 Episode Artwork 103: Beyond Palatable: Sophie Jane Lee on Women, Voice, Visibility, and the Courage to Take Up Space 36:21 Episode Artwork 102: Leadership, Money, and Identity Shifts: Executive Coach Steve Smith on Navigating Hard Business Seasons 38:34 Episode Artwork 101: Why Leadership Training Fails (and How to Fix It): Healthcare Executive Keith Repko on Building Strong Managers 30:59 Episode Artwork 100:Escaping the Urgent Trap: How Leaders Reclaim Time, Focus, and Humanity with Frederick Buskey 50:16 Episode Artwork 99: Fertile Business, Identity Shifts, and Intuitive Leadership: Creating Sustainable Abundance with Olivier Egli 45:44 Episode Artwork 98: Family Business Therapy: How to Fix Friction, Build Resilience, and Grow Without Burning It All Down (with Scott Gingold) ‌ 34:56