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Tag Archives: divorce tips
Your Massachusetts Divorce Support Team – Tips to Find the Right Therapist
While the thought of trying to choose a psychotherapist might seem intimidating or even overwhelming, it is not as difficult as you think. If you have ever picked a date for the prom, a baby sitter for your children, or a car to purchase, then you already know you are able to make choices. That’s good news at least. If you are considering a Massachusetts divorce or are in the middle of one, then you may want to consider adding a mental health professional to your support team. If you do not think you would benefit from therapy, well according [...]
Talking With Your Kids About Your Divorce – Podcast
As if getting a Massachusetts divorce wasn’t already stressful, once you and your spouse decide that is where you are heading you need to talk to the children about the transitions ahead. Talking with your kids about your divorce can be a sad and stressful conversation. Many of our clients are anxious about this, yet with some planning it can go smoothly and you will be better prepared. Previously, I wrote a blogpost on Telling Your Kids About Your Divorce. I had a lot of good feedback on this post from parents. Because this topic so frequently comes up [...]
Six Stages of Divorce Mediation…and an Optional Van Ride
By Attorney & Mediator Stephen McDonough So, you have been doing some research about the benefits of divorce mediation, but what are the stages of a typical divorce mediation? Once you and your spouse select a divorce mediator, he or she should provide a framework and structure to the process. In my view, there are six main stages of a typical divorce mediation: 1. Introductory – Stage 1 lays the groundwork for the rest of your divorce mediation. Information regarding the mediation process and your client agreement will be explained. Actually this stage starts during your initial contact with the [...]
Telling Your Kids About Your Divorce
By Stephen F. McDonough, Massachusetts Divorce Attorney & Mediator at The Divorce Collaborative LLC. I would also like to acknowledge two experienced and caring mental health practitioners that I frequently work with, Dr. Sandy Portnoy and Betsy Ross, LICSW, CGP. They provided insights about this topic during many divorce mediation and collaborative divorce sessions. And you thought the birds and bees talk was going to be stressful. Telling your children about your divorce is a difficult conversation that parents dread. Basically, the key to speaking to your children about your divorce is the same as if you were painting a room [...]
Ready, Set, Divorce! – 4 Steps to a Better Massachusetts Divorce
By guest-blogger Betsy Ross, MSW, Divorce Coach You probably wouldn’t go on vacation without first figuring out where you want to go, what you’ll need to pack, how long to be away, and how to get there. Likewise, you wouldn’t buy a house without first considering the size of the house you’ll need, which neighborhoods would be suitable, what your budget is, etc. Just like preparing for a vacation or house hunting, it can be helpful to do some planning to better prepare for your Massachusetts divorce. So, before heading into the office of a skillful mediator, collaborative attorney or [...]
Divorce and Parenting – 10 Steps to Make it Successful From Your Child’s Point of View
For children – no matter what age – divorce can be a major source of distress. The article below was written by Betsy Ross, an experienced therapist and divorce coach from Sharon, Massachusetts. At The Divorce Collaborative LLC in Franklin, MA, Betsy is frequently part of the mediation process for couples that select the firm’s comprehensive fixed-fee mediation program or a collaborative divorce. Betsy wrote the article below from the child’s point of view – a point of view that should be of paramount importance for divorcing or post-divorce couples. I hope you find the article helpful, and [...]
Tips for Surviving the Holidays During and After Divorce by Steve McDonough, Esq.
The Holiday season is upon us. Some people, like my mom for instance, love the holidays. Decorating is a multi-week process and there are so many ornaments on the tree that she and my step-father must deploy a support cable attached to a nearby wall to help hold it up. It is about what you would expect to see on a large suspension bridge. Between December 1st and the end of January (we have lots of January birthdays in the family) I estimate that my mother will host or attend (mostly host) somewhere in the area of 624 social events. [...]
Stay Happily Married Podcast – Spouse Going Back to School
Attorney Lee Rosen is the owner of The Rosen Law Firm in North Carolina. I worked at his firm right out of law school in what I now term “the southern experiment.” Rosen Law Firm also sponsors the Stay Happily Married website. Besides being a successful and insightful divorce attorney and business owner, Lee is an expert in law firm technology and marketing. This podcast reminded me of how much fun it was going to school at night while married to a working spouse and with two small children. Luckily, having a patient and supporting spouse made [...]
Plumber. Flowers. Candy-Gram.
I am a proponent of alternative dispute resolution (ADR), such as divorce mediation, the collaborative divorce process and a good old-fashioned duel with flintlock pistols. OK, I am just kidding on ADR method number three, flintlock pistols are unreliable and inaccurate. Some couples are more suited to mediation than others. When I first meet with a couple for a mediation consultation they are evaluating what I have to say and how I say it, my personality, if they like my tie, etc. Perhaps they also realize that I am evaluating them and listening for any “red flags” that signal possible [...]
Maintain Your Divorce Sanity!
Everyone knows that a divorce is stressful, but there are some steps you can take to better manage the anxiety surrounding the process. I was orginally going to call this post “The Top 10 Ways to Maintain Your Divorce Sanity” but I really felt the need to have #11. I am sure there are other good suggestions that I left off this list, so please send along any other suggestions. Also, this post assumes you were mostly sane prior to your divorce commencing. Well, here we go: 1. Realize that your divorce is your divorce. It is not your [...]
