Episode Details

Hiring a family law attorney and then waiting for that attorney to fix everything: that's the setup Lisa and Chris push back on in this second installment of their Client as Consumer series. Your attorney is not, in their words, a knight in shining armor who rides in to save you.

This episode brings back Canadian family law attorney David Morneau alongside client advocate Angie, who goes by Warrior Woman in the community. David represented himself in his own case before building his current practice; Angie holds a High Conflict Divorce Coach certification and works directly with people navigating their own cases.

The three of them talk through what it actually looks like to stay an active participant in your own case instead of handing everything over and waiting: knowing what your attorney is filing and why, asking questions before a hearing instead of after, and treating your case the way you'd treat any other major purchase or service you're paying for.

This conversation is part of an ongoing series on client-as-consumer thinking in family court; if the framing is new to you, it's worth going back to the first installment as well.

As always, this is strategic education, not legal or mental-health advice for your specific situation.

🎓 What you'll learn

• Why treating your attorney like a "knight in shining armor" sets you up for disappointment
• What it looks like to stay an active participant in your own case instead of a passive client
• Why understanding what's being filed on your behalf, and why, changes how a case goes
• How a High Conflict Divorce Coach certification complements what an attorney can offer
• Why asking questions before a hearing beats asking after
• What changes when you treat your case like a service you're actively managing, not something being done to you

Keep going 💜
Book a free 30-minute discovery call and we'll help you map your next steps: https://beentheregotout.com/call
📘 Been There Got Out: Toxic Relationships, High-Conflict Divorce, and How to Stay Sane Under Insane Circumstances — https://www.amazon.com/dp/194627495X
📘 Been There Got Out: When Your Ex Turns the Kids Against You (our parental-alienation book) — https://www.amazon.com/dp/1967674183
🔗 David Morneau on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dmorneaulaw
🔗 Angie on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bosslady.to

🎧 More with David Morneau & Angie on this podcast
Ep 5: What to Ask Before Hiring an Attorney
Ep 6: The Client as Consumer, Part 2
Ep 100: How a Child's Voice Reaches the Judge
Ep 131: How to Advocate for Yourself With Your Own Lawyer
Ep 219: Fear, Emotion, and the Family Law System

About Been There Got Out
Chris Barry and Lisa Johnson are high-conflict divorce, custody, and co-parenting strategists, and the founders of Been There Got Out. They know these cases from the inside: both have successfully represented themselves in family court. Few attorneys have a playbook for a case like this — Chris and Lisa write yours with you, so you and your kids can get through it as unscathed as possible.