What Are the Benefits of Working With a Divorce Coach?

 Posted on April 20, 2022 in Divorce

The divorce process can be very complex and difficult for both parties. In some cases, spouses may not know where to begin as they prepare to end their marriage, and gaining a full understanding of the issues they will need to address can seem like a massive and complicated undertaking. These problems may be compounded by the emotional difficulties that a person may experience due to the end of a long-term relationship, the conflict between spouses, and concerns about how matters related to a couple’s children will be handled. In many cases, divorcing spouses can benefit by working with a divorce coach who can provide much-needed assistance as they go about the process of dissolving their marriage.

At Weiss-Kunz & Oliver, LLC, we provide our clients with high-quality legal representation during the divorce process, working to protect their rights and helping them reach a positive outcome to their cases. However, we understand that while we can assist with the legal aspects of a divorce, there are a variety of other issues that can affect our clients during this process, and receiving help from others can often be beneficial. We are happy to work alongside divorce coaches with our clients, taking a team approach to the divorce process and ensuring that a person will be prepared to move forward with their life once their marriage has been legally dissolved.

How a Divorce Coach Can Help With the Divorce Process

There are many issues that will need to be addressed as a couple goes about the process of ending their marriage. While an attorney can provide invaluable help with the legal aspects of this process, there are a variety of other concerns that may need to be addressed outside of the legal context. A divorce coach can help a person determine the best ways to approach these issues and proceed with the process of ending their marriage.

A divorce coach can discuss a person’s needs and goals, helping them gain a better understanding of what they want to accomplish during their divorce. The ideal outcome is different for every person, and a divorce coach can provide guidance on the best ways to approach different issues, the strategies a person may use as they proceed with divorce settlement negotiations, and potential ways that spouses may be able to minimize conflict as they work to end their marriage.

Assistance with planning and organization is another key benefit that spouses can gain by working with a divorce coach. As a couple works to identify the financial issues that they will need to address, including determining how to divide their marital property, a divorce coach can help a person approach these issues the right way. They can offer advice on how to take a full inventory of a couple’s assets and debts and identify any issues that may affect a person’s finances during and after their divorce. A divorce coach may also help a person plan for the changes they will need to make in their lives, such as finding new living arrangements and determining how they will pay ongoing expenses such as rent, utilities, groceries, or gas. As a person works to address these issues, a divorce coach may be able to help them determine whether spousal support may be needed to ensure that they will be able to meet their ongoing needs.

A divorce coach may also provide emotional support during the divorce process. They can listen to a person’s concerns and discuss their fears, the conflicts they have encountered with the other spouse, and the issues they are struggling with. They may also offer advice on how to deal with emotional concerns, minimize conflict between spouses, and ensure that a person can maintain a good relationship with their children. By serving as a listening ear and a guide through the often-difficult divorce process, a divorce coach can help a person focus on their goals while also making sure they are addressing their own emotional needs.

Individual or Joint Divorce Coaching

In many cases, one or both spouses will use their own individual divorce coaches. In these situations, a divorce coach can work closely with a person to identify their needs and goals and determine the best approach to take as they work to end their marriage. An individual divorce coach can serve as a guide for a person to make sure they properly address the various issues related to their divorce.

However, there may be some situations where a divorce coach may work with both spouses. In these cases, a divorce coach will be a neutral advisor who will not take the side of either party in discussions or negotiations. Instead, the divorce coach will help the couple identify the issues that will need to be addressed and work with them to determine how they can reach agreements. In cases where a couple is willing to work together to resolve their disputes, a divorce coach may assist with the process of divorce mediation or collaborative divorce, ensuring that spouses will be able to create a workable divorce settlement that will fully address the needs and goals of both parties. They may also help spouses address personal issues related to the end of their marriage, such as discussing the divorce with their children or transitioning to living in separate homes.

Some divorce coaches have training and certification in family therapy, and they may be able to work together with spouses to address their conflicts and discuss emotional issues as they work to reach agreements on how to end their marriage successfully. This may be beneficial for spouses who wish to maintain positive relationships with each other after their divorce, such as when parents will need to be able to work together to raise their children. By combining family therapy services with divorce coaching, a couple may be able to find solutions that will provide for the emotional needs of both parties and ensure that they are focusing on the best interests of their children.

Pre-Divorce Services Provided by Divorce Coaches

In cases where a couple is deciding whether to get a divorce or planning to begin the divorce process, a divorce coach may be able to help determine how to proceed. In some cases, a couple may consult with a divorce coach if one spouse has stated that they want to get a divorce, but the other spouse is not yet ready to end their marriage. By discussing the issues that will be addressed during the divorce process, a divorce coach may be able to help a couple determine whether to move forward with ending their marriage or whether other options may be available, such as legal separation.

A divorce coach can also provide assistance for couples who are planning to get a divorce but are unsure about how to begin the process. They can help spouses identify the issues that will need to be addressed and ensure a couple understands the legal procedures that will be followed. This can help a couple minimize conflict during the divorce process and work together to reach agreements that will be beneficial for both parties.

Divorce Coaching Services During the Divorce Process

As a couple is working to address and resolve the legal issues that affect their divorce case, a divorce coach can help them make the right decisions and work to achieve their goals as they proceed through the divorce process. A divorce coach may be able to assist with:

• Identifying complex financial issues that will need to be addressed, such as ownership of family-owned businesses, division of retirement accounts and pensions, or other factors that may affect a high net worth divorce.

• Helping spouses determine how they may be able to address child custody and parenting time in ways that allow both parents to be closely involved in the process of raising their children while maintaining positive family relationships. 

• Advising couples on when spousal maintenance may be appropriate and how they can make sure both spouses will be able to maintain their accustomed standard of living. 

• Helping couples determine whether it may be beneficial to work with other professionals, such as financial advisors or child custody evaluators.

• Advising spouses on how to address concerns that may arise during the divorce process, such as substance abuse or mental health issues, while ensuring that a person understands their options for addressing potential safety issues.

• Helping a person understand when litigation may be necessary to address the outstanding issues that could not be resolved through mediation or negotiation of a divorce settlement.

• Providing guidance on when a person may need to consult with their attorney to determine how to protect their rights or address different legal issues.

Post-Divorce Coaching Services

While divorce coaches will often help spouses understand the best ways to proceed as they are working to end their marriages, they may also provide additional help after a couple’s marriage has been dissolved. Ways a divorce coach may be able to help ex-spouses move forward after completing their divorce may include:

• Working with parents to determine the best ways to communicate effectively with each other about issues related to their children while avoiding conflict and focusing on their children’s best interests.

• Helping families adjust to living in two separate homes and ensuring that children will be able to maintain consistency as they transition between parents’ houses.

• Advising spouses on how to maintain financial stability as they adjust to living on a single income, while also helping them determine the best steps to take to achieve the goals they want to accomplish in the future.

• Determining how to address changes in the lives of ex-spouses or their children that may require them to make modifications to divorce or child custody orders. 

• Helping parents understand how to proceed in situations where an ex-spouse will be relocating to a new home, including determining how to make adjustments to child custody or parenting time arrangements while ensuring that both parents will be able to maintain close relationships with their children.

Contact Our Elmhurst Divorce Lawyers

Depending on the complexity of the issues that you will need to address in your divorce, the level of conflict between you and your spouse, and the approach that you plan to take, you may need to work with multiple different professionals throughout the divorce process. A divorce coach can be an invaluable resource, and they can help determine whether you may also want to get assistance from financial advisors, mental health professionals, or others. The lawyers at Weiss-Kunz & Oliver, LLC can work alongside a divorce coach to help you prepare for your divorce and address any issues that may arise, and we will work closely with you to help you end your marriage successfully. To get legal help with your case, contact our DuPage County divorce attorneys today at 312-605-4041.

Sources:

https://drsarahvpuccia.com/divorce-coaching/

https://thriveglobal.com/stories/10-benefits-of-hiring-an-online-divorce-coach/

https://www.survivedivorce.com/divorce-coach