084: Two Decisions That Will Define Your Divorce – with Family Law Icon Forrest “Woody” Mosten

Most divorcing parents assume their only options are to fight it out in court or somehow manage a settlement on the courthouse steps. What if the entire premise is wrong? In this episode of the Children First Family Law™ Podcast, Krista Nash sits down with Forrest “Woody” Mosten, a California-based family law attorney, mediator, and author of Family Lawyer as Peacemaker, who hasn’t set foot in a courtroom in over 30 years and has built a thriving practice doing exactly that.

Forrest brings decades of hard-won experience working exclusively in mediation and cooperative law, including serving as counsel in the largest collaborative divorce case in history. He shares why litigation tends to extend emotional recovery, how early resolution protects both children and family finances, and what parents should actually look for when choosing a lawyer.

Families navigating divorce deserve to know that the war metaphor is optional.

In this episode, you will hear:

  • Why litigation extends the time it takes families to recover their psychological and emotional baseline after divorce
  • The real cost of adversarial divorce, including how two competing expert witnesses can cost four to five times more than one neutral
  • How Forrest “Woody” Mosten built a court-free practice that outearned his litigation years and why the financial case for peacemaking is strong
  • What the Roy Disney collaborative divorce revealed about protecting children’s wellbeing even in high-asset, high-complexity cases
  • The difference between early and late resolution strategies, and why most traditional family lawyers default to the wrong one
  • Practical steps for families entering divorce, including how to find peacemaker attorneys and why bringing in a neutral mediator from the start changes outcomes
  • Why the lawyer the other party chooses shapes everything, and how to respond when the opposing side lawyers up aggressively

Resources from this Episode

https://mostenmediationtraining.com/forrest-woody-mosten/

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=family+lawyer+as+peacemaker&crid=30L9A8CG4DIPX&sprefix=family+lawyer+as+peacemake%2Caps%2C233&ref=nb_sb_noss

https://www.amazon.com/Collaborative-Divorce-Handbook-Helping-Families/dp/0470395192/ref=sr_1_3?crid=12RB7BN9AS2XG&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.pouW277LrhaFj9dO7I1voFK_Mg6rnLeWPZUZVVKSdXAC9HGmaCK6Iv5PJ-9SMWwxopCfLyjoN2bRm24zRW4BHSNex0_yvuK4UO378zkOCNv8ns-AOb73nX0vcxzpFlE38XHtDa5eIUJPrv289yrvYmEW1eJECrd06RGlmLFFRRE.leikNCc6i4rlChlQiQsh6W1ZRxEzZzgm2rWd5DRdQDo&dib_tag=se&keywords=forrest+mosten&qid=1777610223&sprefix=forrest+mosten%2Caps%2C219&sr=8-3

www.childrenfirstfamilylaw.com

All states have different laws; be sure you are checking out your state laws specifically surrounding divorce. Krista is a licensed attorney in Colorado and Wyoming but is not providing through this podcast legal advice. Please be sure to seek independent legal counsel in your area for your specific situation. 

Follow and Review:

We’d love for you to follow us if you haven’t yet. Click that purple ‘+’ in the top right corner of your Apple Podcasts app. We’d love it even more if you could drop a review or 5-star rating over on Apple Podcasts. Simply select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” then a quick line with your favorite part of the episode. It only takes a second and it helps spread the word about the podcast.

 

The post 084: Two Decisions That Will Define Your Divorce – with Family Law Icon Forrest “Woody” Mosten appeared first on Children First Family Law PC.



from Children First Family Law PC https://childrenfirstfamilylaw.com/two-decisions-that-will-define-your-divorce-with-family-law-icon-forrest-woody-mosten/
via Children First Family Law

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

035: Choosing Your Child’s Therapist with Child Custody Expert & LPC Christy Bradshaw Schmidt

Choosing a therapist for your child often feels daunting because it’s an important decision in the divorce process. Today’s guest offers invaluable advice on what to look for in a therapy professional. On this episode of Children First Family Law, Krista welcomes child custody expert and Texas-licensed professional counselor Christy Bradshaw Schmidt. Christy has served as a private child custody evaluator since 2003, having completed more than 600 evaluations for families. She also serves as a private consultant and expert witness in family law matters like constructing parenting plans for kids less than three years old, relocation, reunification, and parent-child contact problems, among other topics. Christy is also a leading voice in helping therapists understand boundaries in high-conflict cases, the appropriate roles of mental health professionals in family law matters, and why selecting appropriate therapists for court-involved families is critical. Christy is the author of hund...
Read more

From Shadows to Strength: A Journey Through Divorce and Personal Empowerment

Divorce is a challenging and often overwhelming process, particularly when it involves escaping a toxic relationship and trying to prove safety concerns for children while staying out of court and preserving co-parenting positivity in the future. This article explores the journey of moving from heartache and confusion to empowerment and clarity, drawing lessons from Cheryl Palmar’s experience of leaving a troubled marriage in a powerful, evidence-based way that allowed her to strike the balance between standing firm and reasonably negotiating an out-of-court settlement. We will delve into the strategic and emotional aspects of divorce, with a focus on protecting children and rebuilding a life of strength and hope. Understanding the Challenges of a Troubled Marriage Cheryl Palmar’s story begins with the complexities of living with a highly functioning alcoholic partner. We explore the emotional struggle of maintaining a facade of normalcy while facing the harsh realities of addiction ...
Read more

014: Peaceful Divorce Insights and Collaborative Law from Leading Attorney, Mediator and Family Law Icon Terri Harrington

In this episode of Children First Family Law, join Krista in a conversation with Terri Harrington, a pioneering figure in family law renowned for her dedication to fostering peaceful resolutions in divorce proceedings. With more than 40 years experience, Terri shares her journey from a Nebraska farm to becoming a leading family law attorney in Colorado, advocating for a shift from adversarial legal practices to more compassionate, solution-focused methods. Krista and Terri delve into the evolution of harmonious ways to peacefully end marriages, discussing ways to reduce conflict and promote amicable outcomes for children in particular. They discuss the invaluable role of neutral experts, such as financial advisors and child development specialists, in achieving well-informed and equitable decisions and emphasize the importance of educating future attorneys to prioritize the well-being of families and peacemaking to help children and their parents flourish. Krista and Terri also expl...
Read more