Should You Hire a Divorce Coach

On behalf of Johnson, Sclafani & Moriarty, Attorneys at Law posted in High Asset Divorce on Thursday, October 1, 2015.

It’s one of the newest trends in the modern divorce — hiring a divorce coach to guide you through the process.

While most divorcing couples turn to their individual attorneys for that type of service, divorce coaches are even mentioned on the website for the American Bar Association. The group defines divorce coaching as follows:

“[A] flexible, goal-oriented process designed to support, motivate and guide people [and] help them make the best possible decisions for their future . . .”
Some experts say that a divorce coach can actually save clients money because their emotional support during the process costs far less than an attorney’s hourly rate.

While some divorce coaches may have a background in finance or counseling, others may actually be attorneys themselves. However, because they are not functioning as the attorney of record in the case, they do not charge the same rates as an attorney would.

Whether a person needs a divorce coach or not depends on their individual needs. Someone with a weak grasp of financial matters could benefit from a coach with a strong background in money management. Another person who is struggling with the emotions of a split might want coached by someone with a therapeutic background.

Your attorney may even recommend the services of a divorce coach if he or she thinks you could benefit. This allows the attorney to focus solely on the legal aspects of the case.

Because this is a relatively new service and there is no licensing process in place, if you wish to avail yourself of the services of a divorce coach, it is important to do a background check of their credentials and references before contracting with them to do business.

Source: The Street, “Hiring a Divorce Coach Can Save You a Bundle,” Kristin Colella, Sep. 18, 2015