The Chesnutt Law Firm

09/03/2026

What if childhood trauma changes the body as much as it changes the mind?

In Episode #57, I sit down with Dr. Frank Putnam, a child and adolescent psychiatrist whose 35+ years of research on the effects of childhood maltreatment has produced findings that are impossible to ignore. We're not just talking about emotional scars. Early trauma can accelerate biological aging, increase the risk of chronic disease, and shorten lives.

But this conversation is also about hope. One trusted adult — a teacher, a coach, a relative — can completely change a child's trajectory. And if we can break these cycles, as Dr. Putnam says, "We're not just stopping a case. We're stopping generations."

This is one of the most important conversations I've had on this podcast. If you work with children, love children, or care about child welfare, this episode is for you.

🎧 Listen here: https://open.spotify.com/episode/3aOMFCIPWVrz8tg61M0qtL?si=ae31c84c87f4430f

(This episode is sponsored by Guardians for New Futures (GFNF4Kids), an organization dedicated to supporting the unfunded needs of abused children. Learn more at www.GFNF4kids.org.)

From Foster Care to Family Law - A Child Welfare Focus · Episode

06/29/2026

Too many family law attorneys are still walking into mediation without proposed distribution worksheets. Trust me, I've seen it firsthand all too often.

Steven Bryant said it well in Episode #55; too many firms haven't evolved, and too many attorneys are framing everything around "when we go to court" from day one instead of asking how to settle first.

Court should be the last option, not the opening strategy.

🎧 Full episode here: https://open.spotify.com/episode/1TUAaIhFSjVGvaBSaTbVk7?si=yufuljhjT5qHglizlZrlWw

06/26/2026

I asked Steven Bryant from Synergy Divorce Solutions for one call to action for family law attorneys, and his answer was simple: bring in someone who knows tax, finance, or economics.

Because here's the problem Steven sees far too often – people arguing over numbers that aren't agreed upon and aren't accurate. How are you supposed to negotiate a fair settlement when you're working with numbers that don't reflect reality?

If someone is a W-2 employee or a business owner, their income is documented. It shouldn't be up for debate. Get the right numbers first, and everything else becomes a lot clearer.

🎧 Full episode here: https://open.spotify.com/episode/1TUAaIhFSjVGvaBSaTbVk7?si=yufuljhjT5qHglizlZrlWw

06/25/2026

I say this to other family law attorneys all the time: we are not playing with people's Monopoly money.

This is real money. Real lives. And the stress of a poorly handled divorce doesn't just affect someone's bank account. How are you supposed to balance your bank balance with your doctor’s appointments? With your relationships? With your day-to-day living?

Money doesn’t “stretch”. It rips.

Steven Bryant from Synergy Divorce Solutions shared something deeply personal in Episode #55 that I think everyone needs to hear. His father passed away just a few years after his divorce settlement, worn down by the financial stress of knowing how much ground he had to make up just to get back to where he once was.

That's the cost nobody talks about. And it's exactly why I believe family law attorneys have a responsibility to do this right.

🎧 Full episode here: https://open.spotify.com/episode/1TUAaIhFSjVGvaBSaTbVk7?si=yufuljhjT5qHglizlZrlWw

06/24/2026

One of the hardest realities in divorce is this: The lifestyle that took two incomes to maintain now has to stretch across two separate households.

Steven Bryant from Synergy Divorce Solutions put it perfectly in Episode #55. In an ideal world, equitable distribution means both spouses walk away able to maintain the lifestyle they had during the marriage. But when you put all the factors together, there’s just never enough money to go around.

It's a conversation nobody wants to have, but everybody going through a divorce needs to hear.

🎧 Full episode here: https://open.spotify.com/episode/1TUAaIhFSjVGvaBSaTbVk7?si=yufuljhjT5qHglizlZrlWw

06/17/2026

"If you're the best family law attorney in the world, your client should never step into a courtroom."

Now, how in the world is that the case?

Well, too many attorneys approach divorce with a "when we go to court" mindset from day one. But court should be the absolute last resort, not the default plan.

The best family law attorneys aren't the ones racking up the highest fees in a courtroom. They're the ones settling cases efficiently, protecting their clients' time, money, and peace of mind so they can move on with their lives.

🎧 Listen to the full conversation here: https://open.spotify.com/episode/1TUAaIhFSjVGvaBSaTbVk7?si=yufuljhjT5qHglizlZrlWw

06/16/2026

“A simple mistake from a family law attorney could cost someone their financial security forever.”

Steven Bryant from Synergy Divorce Solutions said this in our latest conversion, and I couldn’t agree more.

In this clip from Episode #55, Steven and I talk about something I feel strongly about: family law attorneys have a responsibility to their clients to know the financial sides of divorce before they ever sit down with a client. Capital gains. IRA transfers. Liens on a home. Trying to learn these details “on the job” is learning them at someone else’s expense.

Don’t be that lawyer.

Regardless of what side of the table you’re sitting at in the attorney’s office, this episode is worth your time.

Catch the full episode here: https://open.spotify.com/episode/1TUAaIhFSjVGvaBSaTbVk7?si=yufuljhjT5qHglizlZrlWw

05/26/2026

I've seen it happen more times than I can count. Two people both want to move on, sitting across from each other in mediation, but the process still takes years.

Not because they're fighting, but because neither have answered one of the most important (and most stressful) questions: "Will I be financially okay after this?"

Steven Bryant built his entire career around answering that question. In Episode 55, we talk about how financial clarity before settlement can entirely change the outcome for families, and why most cases take longer than they should.

Listen here: https://open.spotify.com/episode/1TUAaIhFSjVGvaBSaTbVk7?si=J2tIDM-rTkClqGjG7qy6jg

From Foster Care to Family Law - A Child Welfare Focus · Episode

05/20/2026

Olivia and I tell clients this more than almost anything else: you cannot cure the fact that your co-parent is an a**hole.

As much as we wish we could wave the magic wand, you cannot cure the other parent's personality. You cannot control how they behave at their house. You cannot litigate someone into being a better person.

And honestly? A lot of people grew up with a difficult parent in a married household. There are a million TV shows about it. Divorce doesn't create the problem, and it doesn't "fix" it either. It just changes the living arrangement.

Listen here: https://open.spotify.com/episode/60Wafw0xO1vlUofhLYMllI?si=0J_flsNkQg-4nqURzWASpw

05/18/2026

Parallel parenting sounds harmless. But is it really?

In my latest episode, family law attorney Olivia St. Clair Long from O. Long Law, LLC made a point that really stuck with me. Parallel parenting — where each parent just does their own thing in their own home — can actually be a way of abdicating your responsibility as an adult. Barring situations where parallel parenting may be necessary for safety, it means refusing to work through the discomfort of communicating with your co-parent, while your kids are left navigating two completely different sets of rules, standards, and expectations.

Think about what that feels like for a five year old.

It's not always the "safe" middle ground we think it is. And in this episode, we talk about what it really takes to show up for your kids, even when it's hard.

🎧 Listen to the full episode: https://open.spotify.com/episode/60Wafw0xO1vlUofhLYMllI?si=NGHmKWgkQHmLTJIbUmjvgw