147: Saving with Steve with Steve Sexton - Episode 147147: Saving with Steve with Steve Sexton - Episode 147
UK Health Radio Podcast
Steve Sexton talks with wealth adviser Leah Hadley about the emotional strain and financial realities of divorce, especially for women. They discuss fear, family dynamics, settlement decisions and how clear planning can help people feel more confident about their future.
44:53•26 Sept 2026
Divorce, Money and Fear: Leah Hadley on Building a New Financial Life
Episode Overview
- Divorce often brings different emotional timelines for each partner, making communication and expectations more complex.
- Fear around divorce is usually a set of unanswered questions, so writing them down and addressing them with real numbers can ease anxiety.
- Trying to keep an unaffordable house or lifestyle is a common mistake; the focus needs to be on building a sustainable financial foundation.
- Choosing a solicitor should be based on your specific situation, such as whether you need mediation, collaboration or strong litigation experience.
- A certified divorce financial analyst can help structure settlements more effectively, and a neutral expert can support both parties around the figures.
“Fear is unanswered questions.”
What drives someone to seek a fresh start when both emotions and finances feel like they’re falling apart? This episode of UK Health Radio’s "Saving with Steve" zooms in on the emotional and financial complexities of divorce, with a special focus on how women can gain clarity and confidence during one of life’s toughest transitions. Host Steve Sexton chats with Leah Hadley, founder and senior wealth adviser at Intentional Wealth Partners and Intentional Wealth Solutions.
Drawing on her own experience of divorce and a background that started in teaching and moved into equity research and financial advice, Leah talks candidly about how even money professionals can feel like "the biggest deer in the headlights" when their own marriage ends. You’ll hear Leah unpack what makes divorce so draining: different emotional timelines between partners, fear about the future, and the stress of telling children and extended family.
She shares practical language for keeping relatives informed without oversharing, and stresses how outside opinions can easily inflame a divorce case if you’re not careful. On the money side, the conversation moves from the hard reality of splitting one household into two, to common mistakes like clinging to an unaffordable house or ignoring high-interest debt. Leah explains why she sees divorce as "the largest financial transaction" many people face, and why getting numbers on paper can calm fear.
As she puts it, "fear is unanswered questions," so she encourages a full brain dump of worries to turn them into tangible, solvable issues. They also cover choosing the right solicitor, the role of a certified divorce financial analyst, and whether to keep or change your financial adviser after a split. Leah’s framework from her book "Intentional Money" briefly appears, offering a values-based approach to rebuilding life and finances.
If you’re facing big change, how could answering your own unanswered questions be the first step towards a calmer, more intentional future?
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