On behalf of Stange Law Firm, PC posted in divorce mediation on Monday, April 1, 2019.
Even if you opt for a collaborative process rather than litigation, divorce in Illinois can be a difficult process to navigate. A collaborative divorce requires both you and your spouse to hire an attorney to represent you. However, there are tasks involved in the process that are beyond the purview of a divorce attorney to perform. A divorce coach serves a different function than an attorney in a divorce proceeding, providing you with personalized encouragement, guidance and motivation throughout the process as an independent third party.
Divorce Magazine cites the American Bar Association in defining a divorce coach as someone who takes your particular needs, concerns and interests into consideration to help you make the best decisions for your future during the divorce process by means of a flexible, goal-oriented approach. You can identify the areas that you need help with during a divorce and ask your divorce coach to help you specifically with those issues.
Prior to initiating the divorce process, a divorce coach can assess your relationship and help you to decide whether to try to resolve the issues and remain married, to divorce or to seek a legal separation. Your coach can also help you understand the different types of divorce and what each involves. Additional tasks with which a divorce coach can assist you include the following:
- Choosing an attorney to represent you
- Building a personal support system
- Separating emotions from rational thinking
- Setting fair and reasonable goals for the divorce settlement
It is human nature to try to avoid difficult situations, and because the divorce process can be emotionally draining, it may be easy to fall into a habit of procrastination as it relates to your responsibilities, which can be to your ultimate detriment. A divorce coach can help keep you motivated to avoid procrastination and move through the process in best way possible while avoiding any roadblocks.
The information in this article is not intended as legal advice but provided for educational purposes only.
