Obviously, the most common approach for helping clients through divorce is acting as an attorney, paralegal or mediator. This means that you are their legal professional helping them in all matters involved in the dissolution of marriage, from dividing up the marital assets to arranging for spousal/child support and completing any and all legal paperwork that is necessary.
But along with the valuable work that these three legal professionals provide, it is often very helpful if the client can speak to someone about what they are going through on a day to day basis. This is where divorce counseling comes into play.
As can be expected, there are many emotional issues that the process brings up and often individuals going through a divorce will need the guidance of a trained professional to allow them to come to terms with it.
Feelings of sadness, anxiety, anger, confusion, and loss are all quite common when someone is contemplating or going through the divorce process. Sometimes there are several emotions at play at the same time, and it can be very difficult to deal with all of them.
Although you can certainly offer some emotional support as a legal professional, a good divorce counselor or therapist has the knowhow and experience to help your client work through all of their feelings and hopefully reach a point where they are at peace with the situation. That is their specialty, what they are trained to do.
So one of the ways of helping clients through divorce is referring them to a trained therapist to talk through their issues. They might need regular in-person meetings throughout the whole process or just occasional phone sessions. Referring your clients helps them and also helps you, as you can concentrate on your duties as an attorney, paralegal or mediator. It’s a win win for everyone involved.
If you don’t currently have a counselor or therapist that you refer clients to, it’s a good idea to start looking for one as soon as possible. He or she can be a valuable tool in helping your clients get through the divorce process. Of course, not all of your clients will need the help, but at least you’ll have someone if and when they do.
Divorce is a complicated and emotion packed process and having the help of a trained counselor can make it much easier for individuals to find their way through this maze. Talk to your clients about the benefits of divorce counseling today.
