Hey Olivia, How Do I Tell My Husband That I Want a Divorce?

There is a question that lives in the bodies of thousands of people right now — not just in their minds, but in the tightness of their chests and the sleepless hours of 3 a.m. It’s not “should I get divorced.” It’s the harder, more specific thing: how do I actually say the words? In this intimate solo episode of Divorce Happens, host Olivia Howell steps into that question with the steady, grounded warmth of someone who has been there — and who has spent years sitting with women who have been there too. Whether you’ve been rehearsing this conversation in your head for months or you’re just beginning to let yourself admit what you know, this episode meets you exactly where you are.

Olivia walks through four practical, compassionate frameworks for approaching the conversation: how to get grounded in yourself before you say a single word to him; why your safety — physical, emotional, and financial — is the non-negotiable first filter; how to choose the right moment and setting; and what to actually say when you sit down to do it. She offers three real opening scripts — calm, clear, and human — that you can adapt in your own voice. And she makes one of the most important distinctions in the episode plainly clear: you are not asking for his permission. You are communicating a decision. That shift alone can change everything about how you walk into the room.

The episode closes with something equally important: what comes after. Because however he responds — with silence, with rage, with grief, with relief — his reaction is not yours to manage, solve, or take back. Olivia reminds listeners that this conversation doesn’t have to be finished in one sitting, that they are allowed to hold a boundary in how it unfolds, and that the bravery it takes to say these words out loud deserves to be honored — even if the only person honoring it in the moment is you. If you’re not quite ready for this conversation yet, she points you to the episode before this one. And if you are ready — this episode will help you get there.

🔗 Check out Fresh Starts Registry:

The first & only divorce registry + support platform ➡ https://www.freshstartsregistry.com/

📱 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/freshstartsregistry/

📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FreshStartsRegistry

🎙 Podcast IG: https://www.instagram.com/divorcehappenspod/

📬 Magazine: https://divorceguidemagazine.com/