7 Ways a Divorce Coach Can Make Your Divorce Easier

For most people, the prospect of a divorce is a huge life crisis. Making big decisions at a time when you are emotionally swamped is overwhelming. A divorce coach can help you understand the options available to you, including a do-it-yourself divorce, mediation, collaborative divorce, or litigation.

The process you choose may be one of the most important decisions you will make in your divorce. The Divorce Coach can also help you make decisions which are in your and your family’s best interests.

Here’s how a divorce coach can help make your divorce easier.

1. A Divorce Coach Will Walk the Path With You

A divorce coach will walk the path with you throughout the divorce process. She or he will provide support and guidance when needed. Your coach will navigate the various divorce procedures with you so you aren’t blindsided by surprises.

2. They Help you Prepare to Tell Your Children

One of the first and most painful things you will have to do is talk to your children about the upcoming changes in your family. A divorce coach will help you (and often your spouse) structure and plan for this. Your coach will help you understand what your children need to know, and what they don’t need to know. A divorce coach will also prepare you for how your children might react, depending on their age and development.

3. They Help You Manage Your Feelings

A divorce coach will help you build or strengthen skills to cope with your emotions. This will be especially important at meetings with professionals and your spouse. Often the coach may attend these meetings to help manage the pace and tenor of the meeting. Your coach might call breaks when necessary, and help all of the professionals understand your perspective.

4. They Help You Envision Your Life Post-Divorce

A divorce coach will help you begin to envision your life post-divorce and as a single parent. A coach will help you set some goals and identify activities and interests that can help you rebuild a satisfying new life.

5. They Improve Your Negotiation Skills 

A divorce coach can help you develop skills for negotiations which usually come after the information-gathering stage. Identifying what matters most to you, and where you can compromise, is one of the biggest challenges of divorce. Your coach will help you understand and think through the many decisions you will be asked to make so that you can feel confident about expressing what matters to you without being hijacked by emotions. This makes the process more efficient and cost-effective.

6. A Divorce Coach Can Help You Create a Parenting Plan

Every parenting plan is different. While a parenting plan includes a time-sharing schedule, there is also much more to it than that. Your coach can predict what issues might cause conflict later, such as when one parent enters into a new relationship. A well-developed parenting plan will help everyone adjust to the changes in the family as you transition to single-parenting. Best of all, the plan will reduce post-divorce stress and conflict.

7. Build a New Relationship With Your Ex

This usually starts with building new communication skills and learning how to minimize conflicts. A good post-divorce relationship is important for your (and your children’s) adjustment, recovery, and growth. A divorce coach can work with you and your ex to establish good communication, boundaries, and strategies for dealing with issues when they arise.