Divorce is a major life change, and it is considered one of the most stressful life events that a person experiences. The stakes are high and the emotional load is heavy. If you are considering divorcing your spouse, or are in the middle of a divorce, consider building a team to help guide you through the process.
One of the challenges in building your team is knowing where to begin. Friends and family can be good referral sources, but if you are not ready to open up to them about your upcoming needs, consider talking with professionals who maintain confidential relationships with you. Your therapist, minister, or doctor may be a good start- ask if they have any recommendations. And remember, you get to decide who is on your team.
Here are a few important professionals that you may want to consider adding to your team.
- An attorney specializing in family law.
- A counselor or therapist to support you through this process. Some therapists also specialize in helping couples through the separation process and to address issues such as co-parenting.
- Divorce workshops: These are usually day-long workshops that involve speakers of various disciplines who assist divorcing individuals. Second Saturday is one such workshop provider that has national locations.
- Mediation coach: A mediation coach works with you to help you prepare for the mediation.
- Certified Divorce Financial Analyst (CDFA): A CDFA can work to provide you a pre-divorce analysis of what a fair long-term settlement looks like for you. This link can help you locate a CDFA in your area.
- Real Estate Divorce Specialist: If you and your spouse own real estate together, you may want to consider a real estate divorce specialist to guide you through the process of selling, buying, or transferring property while divorcing. Real Estate Divorce Specialist and Divorce this House are two great sources that can help you find specialists in this area: and
- Support for children: Children may need differing levels of support. Some may benefit from individual counseling. Others may benefit from a peer support group. DivorceCare for Kids is one such group with national locations.
Remember that you are in charge of your divorce. Choosing the right team to help you through the process can help you to make the long term decisions that you feel confident about.
Written by: Jackie Dunagan
