In my last blog post I shared with you statistical data about the financial impact of divorce upon men and women and how it affects them differently. I also mentioned that I would share with you how divorcing couples might fare better if they gather the totality of the circumstances.
While some couples may want to fight and duke it out in court, many just want a decent divorce, they want to deal fairly with each other, they would consider examining the financial implications if someone would discuss this with them. In fact a couple I met with recently told me they don’t want the court to tell them what to do relating to their children. They are already in court, they have lawyers but it has been dragging on for years and draining on them emotionally and financially. They said they have been trying to “work it out” but came to me as a mediator to help them work through a single issue that was keeping them from finalizing their divorce. In just a few hours, we were able to discuss that issue and bring other issues to the surface, have a conversation and begin to discuss their various options. They left with optimism and some homework to explore and look into whether the ideas we came up with might work for them. A couple of weeks later we spoke and they are gathering the information and are optimistic that once obtained they will more easily know what their next steps are.
Ultimately couples who choose to divorce are under a lot of stress, emotions run high, they’re scared, they don’t know what will be – what will become of their assets, what they’ve worked so hard for and what their relationship with their children will be like.
With just take a little more care, a little more understanding and appreciation for what couples are going through, that a family is going through a breakup and with the economy in the condition it is today, the financial stress upon families and relationships are enormous. It is my hope that you now see the benefit of the additional resources that are readily available to couples going through divorce.
Through the strategic use and involvement of appropriate professionals such as financial advisors, business valuation companies, forensic accountants, mediators and therapists — the family can come out of a divorce a little bit better off because the time was taken to consider the economics and emotions involved. With information the solutions become clearer.
If you or someone you know is considering divorce or going through a divorce that seems to be taking a long time or is a drain on the family resources, consider sharing this blog with them.
In the meantime, feel free to post comments, share experiences, or make suggestions for future topics in the comment section below.
