Collaborative Divorce lawyers regularly get calls from people who have been married for a long time. Some have been married for over 10 years and even over 40 years. They may not be ready to go down the divorce path but they want to get a better understanding of their options.
The issues in marriages may be numerous. They have put up with the same behaviors and as they have grown as people they find they just do not have the same tolerance for those behaviors. The other spouse may have failed to grow, is non-communicative, or they have a mood disorder or an addiction issue. These behaviors may have been tolerated to get through the years so the children can be okay, but the question is whether the marriage is at a breaking point.
In pre-divorce counseling, the person in my office will want to know what are their rights. The truth is that their rights are the same as everyone else. If there is to be a divorce, the community property is going to be divided. If the children are still in the home, we will deal with that case by case.
Sometimes, part of the problem is that one spouse’s spending has gotten out of control or their debt is out of control. You may be at a point that all you want is that the fear about money will stop. When you to come to the Cole Law Firm, we can give you strategies to deal with the spending or debt issues.
Pre-divorce counseling cannot necessarily save your marriage. The information and strategies that are given in pre-divorce counseling allow decisions to be made as to whether they are going to continue with the same behaviors or are they going to change those behaviors. If they decide to change they might be able to reconcile. However, the pre-divorce counseling may also help the couple decide that a divorce is their best option.
