Introducing Holistic Divorce: My New Book on a Better Way to Divorce

Author : Jeanette Soltys

The Short Version: My book, Holistic Divorce: A Calmer, Smarter Way to End Your Marriage Without Falling Apart, Going Broke, or Messing Up Your Kids, went on sale October 2 in paperback and on Kindle. Drawing on my twenty years of experience practicing family law in Georgia, it explains how to choose the right divorce process, how to tell a bulldog lawyer from a holistic one, how to keep your children out of the middle, and how to protect your finances without turning every disagreement into a fight. It also covers rebuilding your life after the divorce is final.

Why Did I Write a Book About Divorce?

Holistic Divorce is available now in paperback and on Kindle at Amazon. It’s the book I wish someone would hand every person at the beginning of a divorce.

Throughout my career as a Georgia divorce attorney, I’ve met countless people who came into my office already expecting a fight. Whether they’d heard it from friends, seen it in movies, or read it on a lawyer’s website, they believed divorce was a battle, and their only choice was figuring out how to win.

I understand why. I spent my first fifteen years practicing divorce litigation, much of it involving high-conflict child custody cases. I saw firsthand how the traditional approach to divorce could leave families financially depleted and emotionally exhausted, even when their cases ultimately settled.

But my perspective began to shift when I experienced the family court system from the other side. About ten years into my legal career, my fiancé (now my husband) was unexpectedly served with a custody modification case. Although I wasn’t representing him, I suddenly understood what it felt like to live with the uncertainty of ongoing litigation, mounting attorney’s fees, guardian ad litem expenses, and the emotional toll of having a court case hanging over your family’s daily life.

That experience helped shape the way I practice family law today. At my firm, Atlanta Holistic Family Law, we take a holistic approach to divorce that considers much more than legal rights and the division of assets. We look at the bigger picture: your finances, your children, your emotional and physical well-being, and the life you want to build after your divorce is final.

Inside the Book

At just 130 pages, Holistic Divorce is an easy-to-follow guide written for people with no legal background. It covers everything from choosing the right divorce process to protecting your children, managing your finances, and rebuilding your life afterward.

Choosing the right divorce process. Not every divorce needs to end up in court. I explain the differences between mediation, collaborative divorce, and amicable divorce, including what each process involves and how to decide which approach makes the most sense for your family. If you’ve read my earlier post on divorce options beyond the courtroom, this chapter takes a deeper dive.

Finding the right divorce lawyer. Over twenty years of practicing family law, I’ve encountered three types of attorneys: the bulldog, the lazy lawyer, and the holistic lawyer. I explain what sets them apart and how to recognize each type during your initial consultation.

Knowing when to compromise. Some decisions feel satisfying in the moment but can have consequences that last for years. I call this the “junk food divorce,” and I explain how to avoid making emotionally driven decisions that may ultimately hurt you financially or personally.

Protecting your children. For parents, one of the biggest concerns during divorce is how it will affect their kids. These chapters offer practical guidance on minimizing conflict, keeping children out of the middle, and building a healthy co-parenting relationship. There’s also a co-parenting stability checklist to help you put those strategies into practice.

Navigating a high-conflict or toxic divorce. Sometimes, despite your best efforts, your spouse simply won’t negotiate in good faith. I cover strategies for handling these difficult situations, including the BIFF method for keeping written communication Brief, Informative, Friendly, and Firm. If you’ve read my post on high-conflict divorce, you’ll recognize some of these strategies.

Rebuilding your life after divorce. Divorce isn’t just about ending a marriage. It’s also about creating the next chapter of your life. The final chapters explore co-parenting, finances, relationships, and personal growth, including my own story and those of two close friends who rebuilt their lives after divorce.

The book also includes four practical checklists to help readers take action: immediate stability in the first weeks after filing for divorce, financial clarity, co-parenting stability, and self-rediscovery.

Early Reader Reactions

I asked a handful of people to read the book before it went to print, among them attorneys, a mediator, and readers in the middle of their own divorce.

Carmen Reyes Wolfe, J.D., a certified advanced mediator, called it “a much-needed book on how to divorce without destroying the other side or your children.” On its first day the book reached #1 in three Amazon categories, and by that evening the paperback held #1 overall in Alternative Dispute Resolution, the category for resolving a case outside a courtroom.

Is This Book Right for Me?

The book will not replace a lawyer, and it is not legal advice for your situation. It gives you the vocabulary and the questions to bring when you sit down with an attorney, a mediator, or a therapist.

For readers in Georgia, the approaches in the book are the ones my firm uses every day. If you want to know how we use them with clients, start with our pages on amicable divorce, divorce mediation, and collaborative divorce. My post comparing mediation and collaborative divorce is a good next read as well.

Buying the Book

Holistic Divorce is available in paperback and on Kindle at Amazon. You can read more about the book at holisticdivorcebook.com.

If you are facing a divorce in Georgia and want to talk through your options with someone who practices this way, contact our office. We will go through your options with you and recommend the one that fits your situation.