Divorce is often portrayed as destructive, bitter, and life-ending — but what if it doesn’t have to be?
In this episode of Cake for Dinner, we sit down with family and marital attorney Mara Bernstein to challenge everything you think you know about divorce. With over three decades of experience — and a deeply personal life story shaped by grief, resilience, and rebuilding — Mara shares a radically different, more human approach to separation.
This conversation goes far beyond legal strategy. We talk about why most divorces never need to go to court, why women initiate the majority of divorces, how finances and fear keep people stuck, and how purpose, vision, and self-trust are essential when rebuilding life after marriage.
This episode is for anyone navigating divorce, questioning a relationship, or standing at a crossroads wondering, “Is it too late to choose myself?”
Spoiler: it’s not.
Read more about Mara: https://marabernsteindivorce.com/
Follow Keesha: https://www.instagram.com/keeshawscott
Learn More: https://keeshascott.com/
00:00 – Introduction & redefining divorce
01:20 – Why the traditional divorce system fails families
03:25 – Why judges don’t hear your full story
05:20 – 97% of divorces never go to trial — so why fight?
07:20 – Why women initiate most divorces
09:00 – Infidelity, pregnancy, and impossible decisions
11:40 – Why women struggle with finances — even successful ones
14:40 – The danger of being uninformed during marriage
17:25 – Divorce as life reconstruction, not a legal event
18:50 – Purpose, vision, and “reaching” for a new life
22:05 – “Divorce doesn’t have to be devastating”
24:00 – Anger vs. choosing how you live your life
27:00 – Trauma, empathy, and holding space for others
31:15 – Loss, grief, and rebuilding from rock bottom
37:20 – Reinventing life at 49 and starting over
41:00 – Rising for yourself, not just everyone else
44:05 – Prenups redefined as life-planning agreements
48:45 – Why private divorce creates better outcomes
50:05 – Gray divorce, menopause & bold late-life choices
52:20 – Final reflections & choosing yourself
