Why a divorce coach may be just what you need?
The setting
One day, you’re home helping your child with homework. In between homework and checking on the baby, there’s a knock at the door. Looking cautiously to see who the surprise visitor is, you are shocked to find a police officer from the sheriff’s department. He asks you to confirm your name, and then hands you a piece of paper, informing you that “you’ve been served.” Seconds pass like years as you struggle to absorb what just happened. You glance at the top of the paper which confirms what you’ve just been told: Petition for Divorce. In the moments that follow, your son is calling you for help, your baby starts to cry, and you snap back to the needs of the moment. You desperately want to understand the papers you are holding and to break free of the numbness that’s just washed over you, but your kids need you.
Afternoon turns to evening and your husband still hasn’t returned home from work. Your eyes continue to wander to the papers on your coffee table. You pick them up and begin to read. Your heart is pounding as you realize that your beloved husband of 8 years has actually filed papers to end your marriage. You knew in the back of your mind things were not perfect but somehow you thought, this could never happen to you. There is a mix of emotions – hurt, betrayal, anger, confusion – they all take their turn. You can’t reach your husband. Will you ever see him again? What about your kids? There are so many questions.
What’s next?
The papers that have instantly turned your life upside down include the name of an attorney – your husband’s attorney – as well as a date and courthouse for a hearing. Should you find an attorney? What’s the next step?
Coaching: regain control
If you can relate to any aspect of this story, you may need a Divorce Coach. With no preparation or experience with divorce, you don’t know where to turn, how to prioritize, and how to organize. The next steps you take are so important, and yet you just aren’t sure how to proceed.
Your Divorce Coach can:
• Help make sense of what’s just happened
• Lay out a plan to get organized
• Work with you to prioritize
• Explain what to expect ahead to minimize future surprises
• Help you regain control
