Law.com Subscribers SAVE 30%

Call 855-808-4530 or email [email protected] to receive your discount on a new subscription.

The Value of a Divorce Coach

BY Vicki Carpel-Miller
August 29, 2007

One effective way to explain the benefits of a divorce coach to matrimonial attorneys is to ask them questions:

  • Have your clients acted inappropriately in your office or in settlement meetings by engaging in such conduct as bickering, crying, yelling, walking out, blaming or calling the other party or attorney names?
  • Have you ever run into an impass in your negotiations that presents a challenge?
  • Have you ever felt frustrated with your client or the other lawyer in a case?
  • Are you ever at a loss as to how to handle clients' strong emotions when you meet with them alone or in a settlement meeting?
  • Have you ever had cases that you felt were appropriate for collaboration, where the clients and lawyers got started but then the clients disengaged from the collaborative process somewhere along the way?

Most attorneys will respond affirmatively to one or more of these questions. They then begin to focus on the exact nature of their concerns: their client's emotional impediments to participating in the productive resolution of the divorce. Having identified the importance of each client's emotional welfare during divorce, the next question is how to help clients deal effectively and efficiently with the rigors they will face during the divorce process.

In answer to this question, the lawyer usually concludes that involving a mental health professional is the ideal approach to assisting clients to work through their issues. In support of this conclusion, I offer my own experience of working on collaborative cases ' with full teams: two collaborative lawyers, two mental health professionals functioning as divorce coaches, a child specialist and a financial specialist, all part of the core team.

It is more productive to explain the process by asking questions so that the lawyer uncovers his or her own rationale for the importance of the role of a divorce coach. Frequently, people are more comfortable taking a risk when they understand what will be accomplished by taking that risk. Once lawyers appreciate the value of including a divorce coach on the professional team, it is easier for them to work with the paradigm.

This premium content is locked for Entertainment Law & Finance subscribers only

  • Stay current on the latest information, rulings, regulations, and trends
  • Includes practical, must-have information on copyrights, royalties, AI, and more
  • Tap into expert guidance from top entertainment lawyers and experts

For enterprise-wide or corporate acess, please contact Customer Service at [email protected] or 877-256-2473

Read These Next
Yachts, Jets, Horses & Hooch: Specialized Commercial Leasing Models Image

Defining commercial real estate asset class is essentially a property explaining how it identifies — not necessarily what its original intention was or what others think it ought to be. This article discusses, from a general issue-spot and contextual analysis perspective, how lawyers ought to think about specialized leasing formats and the regulatory backdrops that may inform what the documentation needs to contain for compliance purposes.

Hyperlinked Documents: The Latest e-Discovery Challenge Image

As courts and discovery experts debate whether hyperlinked content should be treated the same as traditional attachments, legal practitioners are grappling with the technical and legal complexities of collecting, analyzing and reviewing these documents in real-world cases.

Identifying Your Practice's Differentiator Image

How to Convey Your Merits In a Way That Earns Trust, Clients and Distinctions Just as no two individuals have the exact same face, no two lawyers practice in their respective fields or serve clients in the exact same way. Think of this as a "Unique Value Proposition." Internal consideration about what you uniquely bring to your clients, colleagues, firm and industry can provide untold benefits for your law practice.

Risks and Ad Fraud Protection In Digital Advertising Image

The ever-evolving digital marketing landscape, coupled with the industry-wide adoption of programmatic advertising, poses a significant threat to the effectiveness and integrity of digital advertising campaigns. This article explores various risks to digital advertising from pixel stuffing and ad stacking to domain spoofing and bots. It will also explore what should be done to ensure ad fraud protection and improve effectiveness.

Turning Business Development Plans Into Reality Image

This article offers practical insights and best practices to navigate the path from roadmap to rainmaking, ensuring your business development efforts are not just sporadic bursts of activity, but an integrated part of your daily success.