Divorce Coaching Frequently Asked Questions

Many family law attorneys have limited experience with high-conflict personality-disordered individuals. Behind-the-scenes expert advising means that I support your legal team with my unique expertise in high-conflict cases. This might include helping your lawyer understand the situation better and anticipate your ex’s next steps, organizing important documents and evidence, preparing for legal events like depositions, hearings and custody evaluations, and helping you communicate effectively with the various players in your case.

Yes, I help organize important documents, information, and evidence as part of my role on your team. This ensures that everything is easy to access when you need it.

Yes, I specialize in assisting parties formulate a detailed parenting plan and cost-sharing agreement for review by their attorney that covers most common sources of conflict and which works for their unique family situation.

America’s family courts are vastly under-resourced, and therefore, some of the complexities of our system arise from a lack of training and understanding by attorneys and judges of family abuse and mental health dynamics. Unfortunately, this can lead to decisions that negatively affect children and targets of abuse. Other complexities arise out of antiquated stereotypes and illogical expectations of the parties, such as the notion that one can “get along” with a personality disordered person, who by nature will not want to get along. My goal is to bridge this gap by educating my clients, their attorneys and the court on these dynamics, to achieve a better outcome for you and your children.

As an expert witness, I bring to light the hidden details of abusive behavior and the effects of partner abuse on the children in your family. I create easy-to-understand reports about these complicated matters, helping the court see the whole picture. Such expert input can drastically influence the direction and outcome of your case.

I always operate with care, confidentiality, and respect. I acknowledge that emotions can run high during family law matters and work towards finding balanced solutions that consider everyone's feelings. My work is trauma-informed and rooted in an understanding of abnormal psychology – meaning that not only am I compassionate, but I’m also an expert on the “what, why, and how” of your challenges, and experienced at guiding you through the rough emotional and legal waters.

I provide personalized tactics based on my years of experience studying and working on high-conflict cases. This includes advice on how to stay calm and confident in the face of chaos, side-step unproductive behaviors, communicate effectively, and focus on important child-centered issues while protecting yourself from further abuse. An additional part of my work is to help you create and maintain boundaries, which can be vital to maintaining your mental and emotional wellbeing.

I provide different types and levels of support at slightly different rates and packages. The cost of my services varies depending on the specific area of support you need. Each situation is unique and may require different levels of involvement, expertise, and time, which is why I offer tailored packages to best meet your needs.

For divorce coaching and non-testifying expert services, I offer both flat-fee and retainer options. For testifying expert witness and parenting coordination services, I offer support at hourly rates.

I understand that sometimes it can feel like a lot. However, investing in my services is investing in your mental health, your future and the wellbeing of your family. I offer strategic tactical guidance, expert insight, and compassionate support to positively influence the outcome of your case – and to improve your experience throughout the legal process. I always want to make sure my services are the ideal fit for your situation, so let’s discuss in detail whether my expertise can help you reach your goals.

Although family courts are tasked with promoting the best interests of the child, they don’t always do so effectively. Child-centric strategies focus on obtaining outcomes that best serve your children. This could mean using certain ways to communicate, making a schedule, or resolving parenting disputes, all with your children’s healthy development and happiness in mind. I always prioritize the wellbeing of children in my work, guiding you on the best joint-parenting strategies for your unique situation, to help you create a positive environment for your children throughout the years after the separation.

While I can't guarantee any specific outcome, my expertise can help you present yourself in the best light possible and avoid pitfalls that will work against you. By putting your best foot forward, highlighting your parenting strengths, and showcasing your commitment to your child's wellbeing, we can greatly improve your chances.

Parenting coordination is an agreed-upon or court-appointed service aimed at helping you and your former spouse manage and resolve disputes. A parenting coordinator (PC) acts as a neutral decision-maker during parenting disagreements to keep you out of court and save you money. As your PC, I will find balanced solutions to difficult problems and recommend joint parenting strategies that are best for your children's emotional health and appropriate development, including for special needs children.

Absolutely, I provide consistent and compassionate support throughout your co-parenting journey. No matter where you are in the process, I am committed to helping you and your family eliminate chaos and proceed sensibly.

Absolutely! Many lawyers and courts remain unfamiliar with the advantages of parallel parenting in high-conflict situations – an area in which I am well-versed. In situations where co-parenting is difficult or impossible, I can guide you on replacing co-parenting with parallel parenting. This approach reduces contact and conflict between parents, while ensuring that both parents play an important part in their child's life.

By encouraging healthy co-parenting, resolving needless conflicts, and guiding you in best practices for communication and shared parenting, I offer a path to stability and positivity for you and your children post-separation.

Yes, I can provide strategies and guidance to help manage the high-conflict situation with your ex. This can involve boundary-setting, effective negotiation tactics, communication strategies that discourage continued provocation, tactical methods to stop tracking and technological surveillance, and a formula for focusing on what's truly important, all of which can reduce tension and make you safer.

Coercive control refers to a pattern of behavior where one partner seeks to dominate and control the other through intimidation, threats, humiliation, and/or other forms of psychological or financial manipulation – tactics intended to strip the other partner of their independence, self-worth, and agency. In the context of a high-conflict divorce, coercive control may look like one partner leveraging children, finances, fear for one’s safety, or other vulnerabilities against the other to gain an upper hand in legal proceedings or to continue to exert power post-separation.