‘Walk And Talk’ Is A Simple Hack Shared By A Divorce Lawyer To Make A Marriage Work

Last Updated:January 04, 2026, 21:15 IST

James Sexton, an attorney specialising in divorce and family law, shared a simple yet effective practice that couples can adopt to strengthen their relationship.

A popular adage is that marriage is just two imperfect people who refuse to give up on each other. But relationships can get tough and include a lot of highs and lows. Between the daily rigmarole of work, extended family, kids, and the other stressors of life, the connection between a couple can fizzle if the flames of passion are not fanned regularly, and they don’t communicate.

Having an honest conversation about needs and wants can be awkward and tough, especially if the other person isn’t willing to lend a listening ear. This can trigger fights and leave both individuals in the relationship feeling unwanted and unfulfilled.

James Sexton, a New York–based attorney specialising in divorce and family law, appeared on the December 3 episode of BigDeal by Codie Sanchez podcast. He has shared a simple yet effective hack that couples can adopt to strengthen their relationship. He spoke about the structured routine known as the “walk and talk”.

So what is the walk and talk?

One of the simplest habit shifts with the potential to truly strengthen a marriage, according to James, is a practice he calls the “walk and talk.” The idea is simple yet powerful: once a week, couples go for a walk together with the intention of communicating. Both partners openly share what the other did that week that made them feel loved – and, just as importantly, what made them feel unloved.

James explains, “I’ve seen some couples that have made a practice they called a walk and talk, where once a week they would just go for a walk. The walk had an agenda, and the agenda was, ‘I want you to tell me three things I did this week that made you feel loved, and I want you to tell me, like, one or two things that I could have done better or I could have done differently or that made you feel unloved or unseen’.”

Giving anecdotal evidence of this routine working, James mentions a couple who were in the middle of a divorce and began this technique. He shares that they didn’t go ahead with the proceedings and have been married for more than 10 years.

Creating a safe, judgement-free space for couples to talk about their needs and give honest feedback builds emotional connection. This practice also helps them address smaller issues before they snowball into larger problems.

James elaborates, “There’s value to that because I think that it’s about having a disciplined habit of making time for that very specific kind of connection and for that non-defensive feedback. It becomes, ‘Hey, this is our practice; like, this is a thing that we do.’ I think that’s a very low-percentage move in terms of it doesn’t cost much to do that. And I think if you can’t come up with three things your spouse did this week that made you feel loved, that’s a problem in and of itself.”