Protecting yourself in divorce, child custody tips, and the inside story of how family court really works — Texas family law attorney Artessia "Tess" House, founder of Tess House Law and a Super Lawyers–rated attorney as seen on CNN and Forbes, joins Becky Sampson on the Divorcing Strong™ Podcast to deliver the most practical legal playbook for families navigating custody battles, CPS investigations, hidden assets, and high-conflict divorce.

Tess House didn't start her career in a courtroom. She started in a classroom. As a teacher, she once found a child hiding — scared, silent, powerless — and felt completely unable to help. That moment of helplessness changed everything. She went to law school to make sure no parent or child would ever have to stand before a judge unprepared and unprotected again. Today, her San Antonio-based firm handles some of Texas's most complex family law cases — and in this conversation, she hands you the insider knowledge most people don't get until it's too late.

The central truth Tess delivers: "Court is not about the truth. It's about what you can prove." And once you understand that — once you stop operating on feelings and start operating on facts, documentation, and strategy — everything changes. Becky reinforces this with her own story of creating a detailed spreadsheet for her child's custody case, turning lived chaos into documented evidence that a judge could understand and act on.

Whether you're facing a custody battle, navigating a CPS investigation, trying to uncover hidden assets, or just trying to understand how to walk into family court without getting destroyed — this episode is your playbook.

🔑 What You'll Learn in This Episode:

• Why "the truth" is not enough in family court — and what you actually need to win
• How to document everything in a custody or divorce case so a judge can follow it — Becky's personal spreadsheet method
• What triggers a CPS investigation in a divorce — and how to protect yourself if one is filed against you
• How money trails work in divorce: why hidden assets are rarely hidden for long and how discovery uncovers them
• The child custody battle mistakes parents make that silently destroy their credibility with judges
• How to choose a family law attorney who will actually fight for you — not just bill you
• What "aggressive representation" really means — and when it helps vs. when it backfires
• How to control your behavior, appearance, and communication to maintain credibility throughout a high-conflict case
• What CPS actually looks for — and how to present yourself as the safe, stable parent
• Why your opponent's bad behavior doesn't automatically help you — and what does
• Tess's definition of "Divorcing Strong": understanding the process deeply enough to feel empowered, not just to survive it

💡 This Episode Is For You If:

• You're in a custody battle or about to be — and you feel outmatched
• You're worried about a CPS investigation being used as a weapon against you
• You suspect your spouse is hiding assets and want to know what you can actually do about it
• You're in a high-conflict divorce and your emotions keep getting in the way of your strategy
• You want to understand how to present yourself in family court before you walk in unprepared
• You need to know what to look for — and what to run from — when hiring a family law attorney

🎙️ About Our Guest: Artessia "Tess" House is the founder and lead attorney of Tess House Law, PLLC, based in San Antonio, Texas. Rated by Super Lawyers and featured on CNN and Forbes, Attorney House is a fierce advocate for families navigating divorce, child custody disputes, CPS investigations, child support, protective orders, and parental rights termination. Before becoming a lawyer, she was a classroom teacher — an experience that fueled her commitment to protecting children and empowering parents who feel unheard by the legal system. Her firm's guiding philosophy: "Our top priority is to tell your side of the story in a way the courts value and understand."

🔗 Learn more:

Tess House Law, PLLC

📱 Follow Tess:

@tesshouselaw on Instagram

Support Divorcing Strong by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/divorcing-strong

Divorce can make even the strongest person feel untethered—emotionally flooded, uncertain, and alone. In this episode of Divorcing Strong, Becky Sampson (Bulldog Becky Brochovich) sits down with Kimberly Lorah, a Licensed Professional Counselor and Certified Divorce Coach, to talk about what happens after your world gets turned upside down—and how to rebuild from the inside out.

Kimberly shares her own story: a 23-year marriage, the heartbreak of the life she imagined ending, and the overwhelming reality of single parenthood—while still showing up professionally as a therapist. She opens up about the fear, shame, and isolation that can come with divorce, and why she created Blossom Coaching LLC: to be the support she didn’t feel like she had when she needed it most.

Together, Becky and Kimberly unpack the emotional side of divorce recovery—nervous system overload, fear of the unknown, boundary-setting, and the power of community support. If you’re in the middle of the storm, considering divorce, or rebuilding afterward, this episode will remind you: you matter—and you’re going to be okay.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why divorce can feel like identity loss—and how to reconnect with your authentic self
• How fear and “what if” thinking keep people stuck—and how to shift into hope and grounded decision-making
• What nervous system overload looks like in divorce (sleep issues, panic, dread, emotional flooding, even hair loss)
• Practical regulation tools: mindset work, breathwork, journaling, movement, self-care, and support mapping
• Why prepping emotionally before talking to your attorney can save money and reduce overwhelm
• The difference between being kind vs. being nice—and how that impacts boundaries
• Why boundaries are for you, not the other person—and how to set and hold them without guilt
• How to co-parent with less conflict (including low-contact strategies and parenting apps)
• Why community matters—and how safe groups help you heal without “horror story” spirals
• The real transformation: rediscovering your voice, rebuilding confidence, and stepping into your next chapter

A powerful takeaway

Divorce may end a marriage—but it doesn’t end your life. With the right support, you can move from survival mode to stability, and from heartbreak to rebuilding with courage and intention.

Connect with Kimberly Lorah

Kimberly offers a free consultation and works virtually (based in New Jersey). Her coaching and groups are designed to be a safe place to share, heal, and grow—without judgment.

Support Divorcing Strong by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/divorcing-strong