Divorce made easy - Divorce Experts!!?

Divorce can be very stressful. It is very difficult to practice and consciously handle it. A new panel of experts is helping ease that burden for divorce seekers. 

The next six months of life were a blur for 60-year-old Katie when she discovered her husband was having an affair with another woman. He compares the divorce process to 'grieving the death of a loved one'. Katie, who lives near Bath, England, was devastated when her 35-year marriage ended. His sibling's friend, who was a lawyer, gave him an idea. "He told me that if I could get help from a divorce coach, it would be my best investment," says Katie.

Katie, who contacted a Bristol-based divorce coach, describes what happened next as a life-changing experience. Her coach, a former lawyer, has focused more on the emotional side of dealing with divorce. That, Katie says, helped her see a new life as an opportunity. Having cleared the house of all the reminders of her wedding, Katie decided to take a year off to travel the world.

According to the Holmes and Rahe Stress Scale, which measures stress caused by different life events, divorce is the second most stressful event for people. First is the death of a spouse. But divorce practitioners promise to make the divorce process a little easier. Experts say an increasing number of couples and individuals are seeking divorce counselors to guide them through divorce.

Experts also say that many divorce lawyers refer their clients to a divorce coach to help them deal with the emotional, financial and economic challenges of ending a marriage.

Who Needs a Divorce Coach?

For Natalia Juarez, a Toronto-based divorce coach, providing such support was very personal. He started this coaching service after his engagement ended at the age of 20. He currently guides those who have reached the end of their engagement and married life. Juarez adheres to a long process. He conducts a weekly session that involves identifying the issues that led to the divorce in the first place. After that, he recommends three months of training. Juarez says about half of her clients continue to travel with her after the initial session. He charges USD 300 for a full session. He charges up to USD 3000 for three months training.

"The most common reason people seek divorce counseling is because they're emotionally and psychologically overwhelmed," says Juarez.

"They're dealing with a lot of complicated emotions. They don't want to burden their friends and family with help," she says. Fees for Divorce Practice remain affordable for the affluent. People already face huge financial stress during the divorce process. Juarez says his customers are between the ages of 30 and 50, and 60% of them are men. This, she says, shows that women receive more support from friends and family during divorce.

Although 80 percent of his clients are individuals, there is also a significant number of couples who approach him. Juarez says they come in pairs when they realize they need a 'third party'. Juarez says they come as a couple if there is a communication problem between them, if they feel uncomfortable having difficult conversations, or if one of them doesn't want to divorce. Juarez says that couples can use a coach to get through a divorce even on amicable terms, and that working with a coach can help them focus on the divorce process rather than taking it personally.

The rise in the number of divorce practitioners shows how people are increasingly prepared to invest in making the process of ending a marriage as straightforward as possible. "As divorce rates have increased, divorce has become normalized," says Yasmin Chad, a clinical psychologist and founder of Madison Park Psychological services in New York City.