Although there are certainly many aspects of the celebrity lifestyle you shouldn't try to emulate in your day-to-day life, Pasadena divorce lawyers say the recent trend toward amicable celebrity divorces is a positive one we can all get behind.
Folk singer Jewel announced her divorce from husband Ty Murray on her blog on July 2. The couple married in 2008 after dating for fifteen years. They have a son, Kase, who was born in 2011.
Those who follow celebrity news closely pointed that the “tender undoing” Jewel referred to in her post seemed to mimic the “conscious uncoupling” actress Gwyneth Paltrow referred to when announcing her divorce from musician Chris Martin. “We believe we can find it again in setting each other free,” Jewel wrote. “We truly believe we can find greater happiness apart than together, and this is why we are taking the enormous and heartbreaking step of divorce.”
Although the coining of clever euphemisms for divorce may seem trendy, any parent who is trying to minimize conflict in their divorce is on the right track. Studies claiming that divorce is harmful to children are referring to high conflict divorces in which the parents are constantly arguing and using their children as pawns to advance their own interests. When the split is amicable, the children remain happy, healthy, and well adjusted.
According to the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT), mediation and collaborative divorce are excellent ways to minimize divorce-related conflict.
Mediation is a process in which the spouses meet with a trained, neutral third party to resolve issues surrounding custody, visitation, support, and the division of assets. Their agreement is then prepared and reviewed by their attorneys.
Collaborative divorce is a process in which the couple and their attorneys agree to work towards a resolution without resorting to litigation. Collaborative divorce attorneys use a problem-solving approach to create a settlement without the need to go to court.
The AAMFT also encourages parents to consider co-parent counseling after the divorce. Seeing a mental health professional who has experience with families post-divorce can help parents develop positive communication strategies, set consistent disciplinary rules for their children, and constructively handle sensitive issues such as how to handle the introduction of stepparents, stepchildren, and/or half siblings into the new family unit.
How Can We Help?
Please call our office at (626) 683-8113 or email us at info@PasadenaLawOffice.com if you are in need of legal representation during your divorce. Our Pasadena divorce law firm has extensive experience advocating for the needs of parents and their children.