Why the Court System Is Destroying Families — And What to Do Instead | with Joerika Stitt

Most people walk into divorce thinking they'll go to court, a judge will hear their side, and it'll be over. What they don't know is that it could take 10 years, drain their savings, and still leave them feeling like nothing was resolved. Tracy Ann Moore-Grant, founder of the Amicable Divorce Network, sits down with Joerika Stitt — Illinois attorney, certified mediator, collaborative divorce professional, and former psychiatric social worker — for a raw, eye-opening conversation about what the traditional court system actually does to families, and why she has committed her practice to keeping people out of it. Joerika didn't just watch this happen to clients. She lived it. Her own divorce spanned a decade. She lost her savings to attorney's fees. She eventually had to represent herself. And now she uses every lesson from that experience to help her clients choose a different path. ⏱️ Timestamps: 00:00 – Welcome & Introduction 00:42 – Meet Joerika Stitt: From Psychiatric Social Work to Family Law 02:48 – Starting at Legal Aid: Domestic Violence, Poverty & Real-World Family Law 04:00 – How the Traditional Court System Destroys Families 05:03 – Joerika's Own 10-Year Divorce — What Really Happened 06:12 – What Is a Status Hearing? Why You Keep Having Them & What They Cost 07:14 – The Michael Scott Moment: What People Think Court Looks Like vs. Reality 08:03 – How Lawyers Can Create and Escalate Conflict 09:48 – What Happens to Kids During a 10-Year Litigation 12:15 – Why the Adversarial System Is Wrong for Families 13:41 – Why Court Is So Attractive at the Start — and So Destructive Long-Term 15:00 – Losing Everything to Attorney's Fees and Still Not Getting to the Finish Line 15:38 – The Problem With AI-Generated Divorce Agreements 16:34 – Timeline & Cost: Litigated vs. Out-of-Court Divorce 19:25 – How Mediation Works in Illinois and What Joerika's Process Looks Like 21:02 – Why Complex Cases Need MORE Precision, Not a Judge With 5 Minutes 21:41 – Why Even Winning in Court Feels Like Losing 23:06 – How to Reach Joerika Stitts 🔗 Resources Mentioned: 🌐 Work with Joerika: joerika.com 🌐 Find vetted Illinois professionals: amicabledivorcenetwork.com 🌐 State divorce waiting periods map: divorceamicably.com 📧 Connect with ADN: info@amicabledivorcenetwork.com 📌 If this episode was eye-opening, please LIKE, SUBSCRIBE, and share it with someone who thinks litigation is their only option. You could change the entire trajectory of their divorce. 💬 Did you go through a litigated divorce? How long did it take? Drop your experience in the comments — your story might help someone else make a better decision. #FamilyLaw #DivorceAdvice #Litigation #AmicableDivorce #Mediation #DivorceSupport #CollaborativeDivorce #DivorceAttorney #DivorceWell #IllinoisDivorce #JoerikaStitts #FixedFeeDivorce #OutOfCourtDivorce #DivorceRecovery #AmicableDivorceNetwork