EP: 030
ELISE PETTUS
A COMMUNITY OF WOMEN NAVIGATING DIVORCE
‘How you go through this forest determines, to great extent, who you are when you come out of it.’
Getting divorced can feel a lot like being lost in the woods. And no matter how much information you have gathered from the experts, you probably still feel very much alone. What if there was a community of women making their way through that same forest that you could go to for support and guidance?
Elise Pettus is the founder and Editorial Director of UNtied, an online and real-life community for women navigating separation and divorce. UNtied is a membership organization based in Brooklyn that hosts panels and workshops on a variety of topics, from hiring a lawyer to co-parenting to blending families. A graduate of Columbia Journalism School, Elise wrote on marriage, health and family for New York Magazine, Healthy Living, and the Huffington Post, among many others, before shifting her focus to UNtied full-time. UNtied currently boasts more than 1500 subscribers, and the organization prides itself on connecting divorcing women with the most experienced and competent professionals in the field.
Today, Elise sits down with Katherine to explain why she created UNtied and how it serves as a support system for women navigating separation and divorce. She discusses her organization’s intent to spread the word regarding process choice and offers her insight on how to choose the right option for you and your family. Elise shares her take on the top concerns women have early in the divorce process, addressing the importance of making the first phone call to get educated about the process. Listen in for information on UNtied’s curated events and learn how—with the right support—the divorce process can help you identify who really you are and what you need out of life.
TOPICS COVERED
How UNtied provides a community for women to connect with each other
UNtied’s intent to provide its members with process choice options
- Mediation, collaborative and litigation
How to overcome ‘the fear of the first phone call’
Elise’s take on the top two concerns of women early in the divorce process
- Financial security
- Safety, welfare of children
Elise’s advice for people contemplating divorce
- Get educated around choices
- Avoid needless hostility
Elise’s insight on choosing a process based on the relationship’s power dynamic
How the collaborative process manages anger rather than ignoring it
The topics of UNtied’s monthly panel evenings
How divorce can be positive in the end if given the right support
CONNECT WITH ELISE PETTUS
UNtied: The Thinking Woman’s Divorce Resource
Email elise@untied.net
CONNECT WITH KATHERINE MILLER
The Center for Understanding Conflict
The New Yorker’s Guide to Collaborative Divorce by Katherine Miller
Email katherine@westchesterfamilylaw.com
Call (914) 738-7765