Women Winning Divorce: A Lawyer’s Guidance On Navigating An Unhappy Marriage & Protecting Your Financial Assets With Heather B. Quick, Esq. · Heather Quick

#187 How to Navigate High Net Worth Divorce

·50 min·4 clips

Morgan Mazur reveals why divorce attorneys must give clients grace during the most emotionally taxing experience of their lives.

This episode features host Heather Quick, a Florida family law attorney, in conversation with New York City family law partners Lauren Crane and Morgan Mazur. They discuss the unique challenges in high net worth divorces and complex custody cases, drawing from their extensive experience representing affluent clients. Crane and Mazur specialize in high-conflict litigation, parental alienation, and advocating for women's and children's rights within the family court system. The attorneys explain that high net worth divorces involve complex asset valuation, including business interests, which influences determinations of spousal support. They note a trend in New York courts being less quick to appoint separate attorneys or guardians for younger children in custody disputes, encouraging parental agreement first. Crane and Mazur describe parental alienation as a severe issue, sometimes addressed through intensive family retreats with therapeutic intervention, though courts are often slow to order such measures. They state there is no set age in New York where a child's preference dictates custody; it remains at a judge's discretion, sometimes informed by a confidential Lincoln hearing. The conversation covers how high-conflict divorces turn previously agreed-upon decisions about children's activities or schooling into major disputes. A surprising trend mentioned is co-sleeping becoming a frequent point of contention in recent custody cases. Morgan Mazur details the ethical challenge of balancing a child's stated wishes with her assessment of their best interest, particularly in potential alienation cases. They observe that regardless of wealth, clients often share the same core complaints about spousal contribution and involvement in parenting. A key insight is that the emotional difficulty for clients, including powerful CEOs, stems from learning to co-parent with someone they now oppose in court, requiring a new communication style. The attorneys emphasize that teaching clients how to interact with their ex-spouse is a critical part of their role, impacting future family events. They find that mandatory or early mediation is most effective, either at the outset of a case or after litigation fatigue sets in, to give clients control. Crane and Mazur reveal that cases often take years in New York's backlogged system, with only a handful of judges handling matrimonial matters for Manhattan. They note a universal challenge is managing client expectations shaped by friends' experiences, TV, or AI, as each case is intensely fact-specific and judicial discretion varies widely. The attorneys debunk the common misconception that children automatically get to choose their custodial parent at age 13, clarifying no such rule exists. The tone is conversational, educational, and grounded in professional camaraderie, as three practicing attorneys exchange state-specific insights and war stories. The style is advisory and empathetic, focusing on practical strategies while acknowledging the emotional toll of this legal work on both clients and lawyers. This episode would deeply interest individuals facing or contemplating a high-asset divorce, especially those concerned with custody dynamics and parental alienation. Family law professionals or students would appreciate the comparative discussion of Florida and New York procedures. Listeners seeking clear, realistic legal guidance about the divorce process, beyond simplistic online advice, would find it valuable. Those looking for a sensationalized or quick-fix narrative about divorce should skip this detailed, procedural conversation.

As heard by us

A grounded look at custody conflict, parental alienation, and how money can complicate divorce.

Lauren Crane and Morgan Mazur keep this discussion close to the real strain of high net worth divorce: custody pressure, fierce conflict, parental alienation, and the way money can tilt an already ugly situation without changing the people at the center of it.

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Why you'd press play

For when you need a clear-eyed map through a high-conflict divorce.

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