How to Start a Divorce Coaching Business: A 90-Day Plan
If you are working out how to start a divorce coaching business, the short version is this: define a scope line you can defend (not legal advice, not therapy), choose one client stage to serve first, package your coaching into two or three fixed offers, set up a simple legal and tax structure, put booking, agreements, payments and delivery in one place, and then build referral relationships with family law attorneys, mediators, financial specialists and therapists. Most coaches can do all of that in about 90 days while still working another job.
This guide is for people who have already decided to coach. If you are still weighing training and credentials, read Divorce Coaching Certification and Practice first, or Divorce Coaching: What a Divorce Coach Does and Costs for the role itself. Here we cover the business: offers, pricing math, the legal setup, the software, your first 10 clients and the launch plan.
What are the steps to start a divorce coaching business?
There are ten steps, and most of them take days rather than weeks. The table below gives a realistic time for each and what it usually costs. Where a figure depends on your state or your choices, it says so instead of guessing.
| Step | Time | Typical cost |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Write your scope line and referral list | 1 to 2 days | $0 |
| 2. Pick one client stage (deciding, in process, rebuilding) | 1 day | $0 |
| 3. Design two or three packages | 3 to 5 days | $0 |
| 4. Set prices from your income target | 1 day | $0 |
| 5. Choose a business structure and register | 1 to 14 days | Sole proprietorship: usually $0; LLC: your state's filing fee |
| 6. Get an EIN (US) | Minutes online | $0 (the IRS never charges for an EIN) |
| 7. Insurance and a coaching agreement | 1 to 2 weeks | Professional liability premium varies; get two or three quotes |
| 8. Set up website, booking, payments and delivery | 2 to 7 days | One platform subscription plus card processing |
| 9. Build a referral network and publish a lead magnet | Ongoing from week 3 | $0 to a few hundred dollars for local events |
| 10. Run your first 10 consultations and enrol clients | Weeks 4 to 12 | $0 |
If you want a general version of this plan for any niche, How to Start a Coaching Business in 2026: A 10-Step Plan covers it. The rest of this article stays specific to divorce.
Is divorce coaching a viable business niche?
Yes, because the people who need it have an urgent problem, a defined timeline and real money at stake, and because the legal system does not supply the help they are missing. A divorce involves dozens of decisions about children, housing, money and communication, usually made while someone is exhausted and upset. Lawyers bill by the hour for legal work; therapists treat emotional and mental health; nobody in that picture is paid to help the client get organised, prepare for meetings, set goals and keep moving. That gap is the job.
Who actually pays?
The client almost always pays directly, out of their own budget, which is why payment plans matter so much in this niche (more on that below). Your buyers tend to fall into three groups:
- The person deciding. Someone unsure whether to stay or leave, who wants a structured way to think it through before talking to a lawyer.
- The person in process. Someone who has filed or is negotiating, who needs help preparing for mediation sessions and attorney meetings, organising documents and keeping emotions out of the negotiation.
- The person rebuilding. Someone whose divorce is final and who wants help with co-parenting routines, a new budget, dating again or a career restart.
Referral sources matter as much as buyers. Family law attorneys, mediators and collaborative divorce teams often prefer clients who arrive organised, because meetings go faster and cost the client less. Wikipedia's article on divorce in the United States notes that about 90% of divorces are settled out of court. Settlement means negotiation, and negotiation is where a prepared, calm client does better. That is the value you are selling to both the client and the professionals around them.
What is in scope, and what is not?
Divorce coaching is not legal advice, not therapy and not financial planning. Write that sentence on your website, in your agreement and in your first call. In practice:
- In scope: clarifying goals, preparing questions for an attorney or mediator, organising documents and timelines, communication planning with an ex, co-parenting routines, emotional regulation habits, decision frameworks, accountability.
- Refer to an attorney or mediator: any question about rights, custody outcomes, what a court will do, what to sign, or what is fair in a settlement. Telling someone what to agree to can stray into the unauthorized practice of law, so check your state bar's guidance.
- Refer to a licensed therapist: depression, trauma symptoms, substance use, thoughts of self-harm, or anything that looks like a mental health condition. Coaching can run alongside therapy but never replaces it.
- Refer to a financial specialist: asset division, tax consequences, pensions and support calculations. Many coaches build a relationship with a Certified Divorce Financial Analyst for this.
- Safety first: if a client describes abuse or fears for their safety, stop coaching and help them reach support. In the US, the National Domestic Violence Hotline is 1-800-799-7233.
A clear scope line does more than protect you. It makes attorneys and therapists comfortable referring to you, because they can see you will not step on their work.
Do you need a credential?
Coaching is generally not a licensed profession in the US, but credibility matters in a niche where clients are vulnerable and referral partners are cautious. A coach-specific training plus an ICF-style credential path gives attorneys something to check. We covered the options and how to choose in our certification and practice guide, so we will not repeat it here.
How do you define your client and your offer?
Pick one stage first, write a one-sentence promise for it, and build two or three packages around that promise. Coaches who try to serve deciding, in-process and rebuilding clients from day one end up with a vague website that speaks to nobody. You can add stages later once referrals start flowing.
A useful client sentence follows this pattern: "I help [who] who are [stage] to [outcome] without [the thing they fear]." For example: "I help parents in the middle of a divorce get through mediation prepared and calm, without running up legal fees on things a coach can handle."
Three example packages
The packages below are examples to adapt, not a template you must copy. The names and contents are illustrative.
| Package (example) | Who it is for | What is included | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clarity Sprint | Deciding whether to separate, or about to tell a spouse | 4 sessions, a decision worksheet, a "questions for your first attorney meeting" list, daily evening check-in | 4 to 6 weeks |
| Through the Process | Filed or negotiating, with mediation or attorney meetings ahead | Weekly sessions, preparation calls before each mediation session, document and timeline organiser, communication scripts, habits for sleep and stress, messaging between sessions | 12 weeks |
| Rebuild Circle | Divorce final, rebuilding routines and confidence | Small group program with weekly group calls, a private community, monthly 1:1, co-parenting and budget modules | 6 months, monthly |
Notice the shape: a short entry offer, a core high-touch offer and a lower-cost group offer that keeps clients after the crisis passes. That ladder matters because the in-process stage ends, and a business that only sells crisis help has to find every client from scratch. For more on structuring offers, see coaching packages.
How much should a divorce coach charge?
Work backwards from the income you need, the number of clients you can hold well, and the length of each package. Divorce coaching rates vary widely by region, experience and credential, so rather than quote a "typical" rate, this section shows the math so you can set your own number and defend it.
Start with three inputs: your annual revenue target, the hours per week you can coach, and the share of your time that will go to marketing and admin (assume at least 40% in year one). Then test your packages against the target. The figures below are an illustrative example, not a recommendation.
| Example input or result | Clarity Sprint | Through the Process | Rebuild Circle |
|---|---|---|---|
| Example price | $750 one-time | $2,400, or 3 payments of $800 | $150 per month |
| Coaching hours per client | About 4 | About 16 (12 sessions plus mediation prep) | About 1.5 per month (group share plus 1:1) |
| Effective rate per coaching hour | About $188 | About $150 | About $100 |
| Clients per year to reach an example $60,000 | 80 on its own | 25 on its own | 34 members paying for 12 months |
| Example blended year | 20 Sprints ($15,000) + 14 Through the Process ($33,600) + 8 Circle members for 10 months ($12,000) = $60,600 |
Three lessons fall out of this math. First, the core package does most of the work, so price it with care. Second, the Sprint is a feeder: many Sprint clients should move into the core package, so track that conversion. Third, the group offer looks cheap per member but adds steady monthly income with little extra time. If the blended year needs more clients than your referral network can plausibly send, raise prices or lengthen packages before you cut your rate per hour.
Offer payment plans on anything over a few hundred dollars. People in the middle of a divorce often have frozen accounts, legal retainers and two households to fund, and a three-part plan can be the difference between a yes and a "maybe later". For a fuller budget and pricing worksheet, our one-page coaching business plan template includes a filled-in example.
How do you set up the legal and tax side?
Choose a structure, get an EIN if you are in the US, buy professional liability insurance, write a coaching agreement with a clear scope line, and set up a basic system for taxes and client data. None of it is complicated, but each piece varies by state and country, so check the details with an accountant or attorney before you rely on them.
Business structure
The US Small Business Administration describes the main options in its business structure guide. A sole proprietorship is automatic once you start trading without registering anything else, and the SBA calls it "a good choice for low-risk businesses and owners who want to test their business idea," but you can be held personally liable for business debts. An LLC protects owners from personal liability "in most instances," and its profits can pass through without corporate tax, though LLC members are considered self-employed and pay self-employment tax. An S corp is a tax election filed with the IRS on Form 2553, and an LLC can choose to be taxed as one.
Because divorce clients are emotional and sometimes litigious by circumstance, many coaches choose an LLC early. The SBA is clear that this protection "has limits," so insurance still matters.
EIN, licenses and permits
The IRS issues an EIN online "directly from the IRS in minutes for free," and states, "You never have to pay a fee for an EIN." Form your LLC with the state first, then apply. The online tool needs a US principal place of business and the responsible party's SSN or ITIN.
The SBA notes that "most small businesses need a combination of licenses and permits from both federal and state agencies," and that local requirements depend on your activity and location. Check your Secretary of State and city or county websites for a general business license or home-occupation permit (see the SBA's licenses and permits section).
Insurance
Of the six insurance types the SBA lists, the one that matters most for coaching is professional liability, which it describes as cover for "businesses that provide services to customers" that "protects against financial loss as a result of malpractice, errors, and negligence" (SBA insurance section). Ask the insurer directly whether the policy covers coaching clients who are going through a divorce, and whether it covers online sessions across state lines. If you hire staff, workers' compensation, unemployment and disability insurance become required.
Your coaching agreement
Your agreement carries more weight in this niche than in most. Include:
- A scope statement: coaching is not legal, financial or mental health advice, and the client will consult the relevant professional for those questions.
- A referral clause: you may recommend the client see a therapist, attorney or other professional, and you may pause coaching if their needs fall outside scope.
- Confidentiality and its limits, including safety exceptions. Coaching conversations generally do not carry the legal privilege that attorney conversations do, so tell clients plainly that your notes could be requested in litigation, and check the position in your state with an attorney.
- Payment terms, payment plan schedule, cancellation and refund rules.
- A no-guarantee clause: you cannot promise a settlement outcome, custody result or timeline.
- Recording and AI tools: if you record sessions or use AI summaries, get written consent and say how recordings are stored.
Send the agreement for e-signature before the first paid session, not after. More on agreement tools at coaching contracts.
Client data in a sensitive niche
Divorce clients share details about children, money, affairs and sometimes abuse. Keep notes factual and brief, avoid storing copies of court filings or financial statements unless you genuinely need them, and never forward a client's messages to anyone without permission. Coaching is not health care, but you should still treat this information as you would want your own to be treated: one secure system, strong passwords, two-factor login, and no client details in personal text threads.
Taxes
Self-employed US coaches pay self-employment tax of 15.3% (12.4% Social Security plus 2.9% Medicare) once net earnings from self-employment reach $400 or more, and sole proprietors report business income on Schedule C. For 2026, the Form 1040-ES sets the Social Security wage base at $184,500. If you expect to owe $1,000 or more when you file, you generally need to make estimated tax payments. The remaining 2026 payment is due January 15, 2027, and the earlier ones were April 15, June 15 and September 15, 2026. A simple habit: move a fixed share of every payment into a separate tax account the day it arrives, and ask an accountant what share fits your situation.
Marketing rules that apply to you
Testimonials are powerful in this niche and also delicate, because many clients do not want anyone to know they went through a divorce. The FTC's Endorsement Guides say endorsements "must be honest and not misleading," and testimonials showing exceptional results need proof that they reflect what people generally achieve, or the ad must make the generally expected results clear. The Consumer Reviews and Testimonials Rule, in effect since October 21, 2024, prohibits fake reviews and testimonials. Get written permission, use first names or initials only if the client asks, and never edit a quote into a stronger claim.
If you send a newsletter, the FTC's CAN-SPAM guide requires accurate headers, a valid physical postal address, a clear opt-out, and honouring opt-outs within 10 business days. A PO box or virtual address keeps your home address off every email, which matters when a client's ex might be on your list.
What tech stack does a divorce coaching business need?
You need a website, a booking page, a way to sign agreements, a way to take payments and payment plans, somewhere to deliver the program between sessions, email, and a place for group clients to meet. You can buy each of those separately or use one platform for all of them. We make Coachful, so weigh our view accordingly, but for a solo divorce coach the case for one system is strong: clients in crisis should not be juggling five logins, and you should not be copying their details between tools.
Coachful as the home for the business
Coachful is a coaching platform where one subscription covers booking, payments, contracts, program delivery with habits and check-ins, courses, a community, a website with funnels and email, and an AI assistant. The coach has one login and the client has one branded app. It is built for coaches who deliver programs, not just sessions, for solo coaches growing into a small team, and for coaches who would otherwise be paying for four to six tools. The company is based in Tallinn, Estonia, and has a Trustpilot score of 4.5 from 21 reviews.
For a divorce practice specifically, the useful parts are:
- Booking with intake questions. Booking pages with availability rules, buffers, minimum notice and time-zone detection, plus two-way Google, Apple/iCloud and Outlook calendar sync. You can ask intake questions at booking (stage of divorce, children, whether they have an attorney), which helps you screen for scope before the first call.
- Agreements before the first call. Coaching agreements are sent for e-signature before the first session and stored on the client record.
- Payments and payment plans. Payments go through your own Stripe Connect or Razorpay account: one-time, subscriptions, payment plans, coupons, refunds, Apple Pay and Google Pay. Coachful charges a 0% platform fee (since August 2026); only Stripe or Razorpay processing applies.
- Delivery between sessions. Multi-week programs with weekly goals, daily tasks, habits, morning and evening check-ins, goals with progress bars and streaks. That is where mediation prep, sleep routines and communication practice actually happen.
- A client record that flags risk. Each client record holds goals, check-ins, habits, notes, intake answers, tags, payments and sessions, with a status of thriving, active, quiet or at risk. In this niche, a client going quiet in week six is worth a phone call.
- Community and groups. A community feed, group chat, direct messages and video events, with cohort groups created automatically when someone enrols in a program. That suits a Rebuild Circle.
- Website, funnels and email. A section-based website builder with blog, custom domain and SEO settings, booking and lead-magnet funnels, and email sequences with triggers, delays and branching.
- Michelle, the AI assistant. Michelle works from your live practice data: it can build programs, draft emails and content, brief you before sessions and summarise recorded sessions (get client consent before recording). Questions and planning are included in your Coachful membership; confirmed builds and changes use AI credits.
What Coachful does not do matters too. It is not HIPAA-certified and offers no BAA, so it is not for clinical record-keeping or insurance billing; if you are also a licensed therapist billing insurance, keep that practice in a clinical system. It does not take PayPal. There is no permanent free plan, though there is a free trial. The client app runs inside the Coachful app with your branding, not under your own App Store listing. It has no Salesforce or HubSpot integration and no routing forms that pick a host from form answers.
The Coachful page for divorce coaches shows how these parts fit the niche, and current plans are on the plans page (Lite: $29/month for up to 5 clients; Solo: $49/month for up to 20 clients; Pro: $99/month with unlimited clients; Studio: $199/month with unlimited clients).
Why Coachful stands out: a free white-glove service. From Create, choose "We'll build it for you · FREE" (the same request is offered as a "Want us to build it for you?" card on the Website, Funnels and Programs pages), describe what you want, and attach up to 8 reference links and up to 10 files such as a logo, photos or your draft copy. The Coachful team builds it inside your own account, usually within about 24 hours. It can be a website, a funnel, a sales page, a program, a course outline and written material, an email sequence, a form or worksheet, a lead quiz or an automation. Nothing is invented: no fake credentials, testimonials or prices, and any gaps are left for you to fill. It does not include recording videos, logo design, ad management or ongoing marketing. As an example of what the team has built, a leadership coach with a website renewal days away got one clean homepage with a repeated "talk with me" button; a menopause and midlife health coach starting from nothing got a five-page site where every button led to a free 20-minute consultation. A divorce coach could ask for the same shape: a calm five-page site, a consultation booking funnel and a "first 30 days after separating" checklist funnel. More in our white-glove service guide.
What one platform replaces
The comparison below shows the separate tools a divorce coach might otherwise combine, with their entry prices as listed in October 2026. Coachful is the first row because it covers every job in one login.
| Tool | Job it does | What is missing for a divorce practice | Entry price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coachful | Website, funnels, booking, agreements, payments and payment plans, programs with habits and check-ins, community, email, AI assistant | No PayPal, not HIPAA-certified, no permanent free plan | Solo: $49/month for up to 20 clients |
| Calendly | Scheduling and booking pages | No client records, programs, check-ins, contracts or invoicing | Standard $10/mo per seat billed annually |
| HoneyBook | Contracts, invoices, client portal | No programs, habits, check-ins or community; scheduler from Essentials | Starter $29/mo billed annually |
| Kit | Email newsletters and sequences | No scheduling, client records or delivery | Creator from $39/mo |
| Stan Store | Link-in-bio storefront | No contracts, invoices or client records; email only on Creator Pro | Creator $29/mo |
| Paperbell | Booking, packages, payments, contracts, simple site | No courses, community, goal or habit tracking (per an older profile) | $97/mo, single plan |
Add the four single-purpose tools together and you are paying for four logins, four bills and the job of keeping client details in sync. For a deeper look at the options, see Best Software for Divorce Coaches in 2026.
How do you set up your website, booking and payments?
Your website needs five pages at most: home, about, how coaching works, a page explaining what coaching is not, and a booking page. Every button should lead to one place, usually a free 20 to 30 minute consultation.
Write the homepage for someone reading at midnight on their phone, scared and tired. That means short sentences, a clear statement of who you help, a plain explanation of what happens on the first call, your scope line, and your credential. Avoid wedding-ring imagery, broken hearts and anything that feels like a law firm. Calm, warm and practical works better. Coachful's website builder includes 30 designed homepage templates, and a warm template like the one below is a sensible starting point.
For booking, set up two session types: a free consultation and a paid coaching session for existing clients. On the consultation booking form, ask three or four intake questions: what stage they are at, whether they have an attorney or mediator, whether children are involved, and what they most want help with. Add minimum notice and buffers so you are never booked back to back with someone in crisis. Reminders by email, plus SMS 24 hours before and WhatsApp one hour before once messaging is enabled, cut no-shows.
For payments, connect your own Stripe account, create each package as an offer, and turn on a payment plan for the core package. Each transaction produces an invoice, and you can send manual invoices for anything unusual. Here is a short walkthrough of how the scheduling side works:
For more on each piece, see the coach website builder, scheduling software and coaching payment software. If tech is the part you dread, How to Start a Coaching Business When You're Not Tech-Savvy walks through the setup in plain steps.
How do you get your first 10 divorce coaching clients?
Your first ten clients will mostly come from people who already see divorcing clients every week: attorneys, mediators, financial specialists and therapists. Social media helps later. Early on, ten good professional relationships will send more clients than ten thousand followers.
Channel 1: Family law attorneys and mediators
Make a list of 30 family law attorneys and mediators within an hour of you, prioritising those who mention collaborative divorce or mediation on their websites. Ask for a 20-minute conversation, not a referral. Learn how they work, what frustrates them about unprepared clients, and when they would want a coach involved. Do not offer or ask for referral fees: professional rules for lawyers often restrict them, and the offer can end the relationship before it starts.
An example outreach email:
Hi [Name], I'm a divorce coach in [city]. I help clients prepare for attorney and mediation meetings: organising documents, writing down questions, and keeping emotions out of negotiations. I don't give legal advice and I refer every legal question back to counsel. Would you be open to a 20-minute call so I can learn how you prefer to work with coaches, and whether there's a type of client I could help you serve better?
Channel 2: Therapists and financial specialists
Therapists see clients who are coping emotionally but stuck on the practical side. Financial specialists see clients who cannot organise their paperwork. Offer each a one-page summary of what you do, your scope line and how you refer back. Referrals in this niche should run both ways: every therapist or financial specialist you send a client to is more likely to remember you.
Channel 3: A practical free resource
Create one useful free resource for your chosen stage: "The first 30 days after separating: a checklist," "Questions to ask at your first attorney meeting," or "A co-parenting communication planner." Put it behind a simple lead-magnet funnel, follow up with a five-email sequence that teaches one thing per email, and end the sequence with an invitation to a consultation. Give printed copies to referral partners for their waiting rooms.
Channel 4: Local workshops and search content
Libraries, community centres and faith communities often host free evening talks. A 60-minute talk on "preparing for mediation" or "co-parenting in the first year" puts you in a room with exactly your clients. Online, write articles that answer the questions people type at night: what to do before telling a spouse, how to prepare for mediation, how to talk to children about separation. These rank slowly but keep working for years.
The consultation itself
Use the consultation to listen first and sell second. A simple structure:
- "Tell me where things are right now." Let them talk for most of the first ten minutes.
- "What would feel different in three months if this went well?"
- Check scope: "Have you spoken to an attorney or mediator yet? Are you getting support for the emotional side?" If they need a therapist or are not safe, say so and give them the resource.
- Describe the one package that fits, its length, its price and the payment plan.
- "Would you like to start?" If they hesitate, offer to send the agreement and a summary by email, and follow up once in two days.
Track every consultation in one place so you can see conversion over time. Coachful's Intakes page shows total intake calls, upcoming calls, conversions and conversion rate, so after ten consultations you know whether to fix your offer, your price or your lead sources.
How do you deliver divorce coaching and keep clients?
Deliver a structured program, not just a run of conversations, and keep a light daily touchpoint between sessions. Divorce clients live through their hardest moments between calls: a hostile email from an ex, a bad night, a document deadline. A program gives them something to hold onto in those moments, and gives you a way to see who is struggling.
For a 12-week "Through the Process" program, a practical structure is:
- Weeks 1 to 2: stabilise. Sleep, food and movement habits; a short evening check-in asking about stress level and one thing that went well.
- Weeks 3 to 6: organise. Document checklist, timeline of key dates, budget snapshot, questions list for counsel.
- Weeks 7 to 10: negotiate. Preparation before each mediation session, communication scripts for difficult messages, a "pause before you reply" habit.
- Weeks 11 to 12: transition. Co-parenting routines, a 90-day personal plan and an invitation into the Rebuild Circle.
Coachful's coaching flows library includes welcome, morning check-in and evening check-in flows you can adapt, and habits and goals are tracked inside the client's branded home.
Retention in this niche looks different from most coaching. Your in-process clients will finish, because their divorce finishes. The aim is not to keep them in crisis coaching forever, but to give them a natural next step. A small group program after the decree keeps people connected, gives them peers who understand, and gives you steady monthly income. With cohort groups created automatically on program enrolment, each Rebuild Circle intake gets its own space.
Review a few numbers each month: consultations booked, consultation-to-client conversion, Sprint-to-core upgrades, check-in rate and how many clients move into the group. Six coaching business KPIs to review each month covers how to read them. For group delivery, see group coaching software.
What does a 30/60/90-day launch plan look like?
Spend the first 30 days on foundations, the next 30 on relationships and visibility, and the last 30 on consultations and enrolment. This assumes about 10 hours a week.
| Phase | Focus | Concrete outputs |
|---|---|---|
| Days 1 to 30 | Foundations | Scope line and referral list written; stage chosen; three packages and prices set; structure registered and EIN issued; insurance quotes requested; agreement drafted and reviewed; website, booking, payments and first program set up |
| Days 31 to 60 | Relationships and visibility | 20-minute calls with at least 10 attorneys, mediators, therapists or financial specialists; free resource and five-email sequence live; first local talk booked; two search articles published |
| Days 61 to 90 | Consultations and enrolment | 10 consultations held and tracked; first 3 to 5 paying clients enrolled; first program cohort running; follow-up note sent to every referral partner; pricing reviewed against the math |
If you have not had ten consultations by day 90, the problem is almost always reach, not the offer. Go back to the referral list and book more conversations.
How much does it cost to start a divorce coaching business?
A lean launch can run on a platform subscription, a domain, insurance and your state's filing fee. A comfortable launch adds an LLC, a professional photo shoot, printed materials and a few paid events. The figures below are illustrative examples, not quotes; get real prices for insurance and state fees where you live.
| Item | Lean launch | Comfortable launch |
|---|---|---|
| Coachful (website, booking, agreements, payments, programs, community, email) | Lite: $29/month for up to 5 clients | Solo: $49/month for up to 20 clients |
| Business registration | Sole proprietorship: usually no state filing | LLC: your state's filing fee and any annual report fee |
| EIN (US) | $0 | $0 |
| Domain name | Example: about $15 a year | Example: about $15 a year |
| Professional liability insurance | Get quotes; varies by state and cover | Same, plus general liability if you run in-person events |
| Agreement review by an attorney | Use a template and review it yourself | Example: a one-time flat fee from a local attorney |
| Photos and branding | Example: $0 with good phone photos | Example: $300 to $800 for a local photographer |
| Printed referral cards and checklists | Example: $0, digital only | Example: $100 to $200 |
| Card processing | Stripe's per-transaction rate on each payment | Same |
Coaching training and credential costs are left out because they vary so widely, and many readers have already paid for them. For a line-by-line version of this budget across every niche, see How Much Does It Cost to Start a Coaching Business?
What mistakes do new divorce coaches make?
The most common mistakes come from blurring the scope line or trying to serve everyone at once. Watch for these:
- Drifting into legal advice. "In your position I'd ask for the house" is legal advice in all but name. Ask questions that help the client clarify their priorities, then send them to counsel.
- Coaching through a mental health crisis. If a client is not sleeping, not eating or talking about self-harm, refer them to a licensed professional the same day.
- Taking sides. Speaking badly about a client's ex feels supportive in the moment but undermines the calm, child-focused approach that referral partners trust you for.
- Serving every stage at once. A site that speaks to deciding, in-process and rebuilding clients equally speaks to none of them.
- No payment plan. Many prospects in the middle of a divorce cannot pay a large sum upfront even when they want the help.
- Publishing testimonials without care. Identifiable stories can be found by an ex or a court. Get written consent and anonymise properly.
- Underpricing. Prices set below the math make the business depend on a volume of referrals you will not have in year one.
- Too many tools. Booking in one place, contracts in another and check-ins in a group chat means details get lost, and in this niche lost details hurt people.
If growth stalls after launch, Coaching Business Not Growing? Find the Break and Fix It walks through where the leak usually is. And if you also coach couples before separation, How to Start a Relationship Coaching Business covers that adjacent niche.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a certification to start a divorce coaching business?
Coaching is generally not a licensed profession in the US (check your state's rules), but a recognised training and credential path makes attorneys and therapists more comfortable referring to you. It also gives you a framework for staying inside your scope. Our certification guide compares the routes.
Can a divorce coach give legal advice?
No. A divorce coach helps clients prepare for legal conversations, organise information and clarify their own goals, but questions about rights, outcomes or what to sign belong with an attorney or mediator. State rules on the unauthorized practice of law vary, so check your state bar's guidance.
Should I form an LLC or start as a sole proprietor?
The SBA describes a sole proprietorship as a good choice for testing a low-risk business, while an LLC protects owners from personal liability in most instances. Many divorce coaches choose an LLC because of the sensitive nature of the work, but check with an accountant or attorney about your state's fees and taxes.
How should I price divorce coaching packages?
Start from your annual revenue target, the hours you can coach each week and the length of each package, then calculate how many clients each price requires. Offer a short entry package, a core package with a payment plan and a group option for clients after the divorce is final. Test the numbers against how many referrals you can realistically get in year one.
Where do divorce coaches find their first clients?
Mostly through family law attorneys, mediators, therapists and financial specialists who already work with divorcing clients. Ask for short conversations to learn how they work rather than asking for referrals directly, and refer clients back to them. A practical free resource and local talks support those relationships.
Is Coachful suitable for a divorce coaching practice?
Coachful covers booking with intake questions, e-signed agreements, payments and payment plans, programs with habits and check-ins, community, website, funnels and email in one login, which fits a solo divorce coach well. It is not HIPAA-certified, so coaches who also run a therapy practice billing insurance should keep that clinical work in a separate system. You can start with a free trial.
What is Coachful's free white-glove build service?
On any plan, you can ask the Coachful team to build a website, funnel, program, email sequence, form or similar inside your account, usually within about 24 hours. You describe what you want and attach up to 8 links and 10 files; the team does not invent credentials, testimonials or prices. Video recording, logo design, ad management and ongoing marketing are not included. Details are in our guide to the service.
How do I protect client confidentiality as a divorce coach?
Keep notes brief and factual, store everything in one secure system with two-factor login, and avoid holding copies of court or financial documents you do not need. Tell clients in your agreement that coaching conversations generally do not carry attorney-client privilege and that notes could be requested in litigation, and confirm the position in your state with an attorney.
Can I run divorce coaching groups?
Yes, and groups work especially well after the divorce is final, when clients want peers who understand and a lower-cost way to keep going. Keep groups small, set clear confidentiality rules at the start, and keep anything that needs individual or legal attention for 1:1 sessions or the right professional.
How long does it take to launch a divorce coaching business?
About 90 days at 10 hours a week is realistic: a month on foundations, a month building referral relationships and a free resource, and a month running consultations. The setup work can be faster; building trust with referral partners is what takes time.
