You're getting divorced, now what?

Making the decision to divorce brings with it so many emotions -  sadness, anger, fear, anxiety, shame just to name a few. And as you’re managing all those emotions, you also need to figure out how to navigate the divorce process, which can be completely overwhelming. So how do you manage your emotions so that you can make logical decisions throughout your divorce process? Consider the following:

• Get support from friends and family. Friends and family can help you process your emotions and make you feel supported and loved. If you don't have supportive friends and family, a therapist can help you manage your emotions.

• Meet with an experienced divorce coach. Starting your divorce process with an experienced divorce coach can help you plan out how you’re going to use your other professionals. A divorce coach can guide you through the divorce process and help you determine your goals and priorities and what you want from your divorce. 

• Don't start your divorce by hiring a divorce attorney. If you hire a divorce attorney, you and your soon-to-be-ex (STBX) can become adversaries. Attorneys feel like it's their role to get you the best deal, they don't focus on what's best for your family. That's what happened in my divorce. Once I hired an attorney, my STBX felt like he had to hire an attorney. We each listened to the advice of our attorneys and lost the control of our divorce. The attorneys started communicating with each other. They charged for every phone conversation, email that they read or sent out and every time they looked over our paperwork. They can go through your money very quickly. 

It’s so important to purposefully walk through your divorce process and not let your divorce process control you. With the right support, you can manage your emotions, develop your goals and priorities and not only survive your divorce process, but thrive and create the next amazing chapter of your life.