Margaret is a professionally trained divorce coach and former family law attorney. Margaret specializes in helping women who are struggling with a difficult spouse so that they can gain clarity, regain control, and make informed decisions about their future.
Create your "Plan B" with a Coach by your Side:
I'm not happy, what should I do?
There are some very important issues that many clients do not realize they should have explored before they filed for divorce. It is not uncommon for a divorce to be filed only to be later retracted after having spent the initial retainer, or even more, with an attorney. That is why it is paramount to determine whether or not you should get a divorce in the first place. If you decide to stay, Margaret can help you to become clear about what your needs are in the relationship going forward. It you decide to leave, how you deliver this news and your next steps can set the tone for an amicable separation. With Margaret's help, you will determine the right time to ask for a divorce, develop a safety plan, if necessary, and, determine whether and/or when to move out of the family residence.
creating financial autonomy
You may have been a stay at home parent who has been out of the workforce for many years, or you may be considering a job change to utilize new skills, or you may be considering setting up your own business so that you can flexibly meet the needs of your family. Margaret will help you walk down the path of all of your employment options. She can help you overcome your fears and develop an accountable plan for you to meet your new goals. If you have decided that you want to move forward with a separation or a divorce, Margaret will help you to review your current budget, collect relevant financial documents, and make some projections and plans so that you can best handle the transition to a single parent household.
choosing the best path for your divorce
You should be the one to determine which divorce process is right for you and your situation. Not all divorce professionals will review all of the options with you while also taking into consideration your unique family and personal goals. A litigation attorney may talk to you about the process of divorce litigation, a mediator may stress that mediation is the best path, and a collaborative law professional may steer you toward collaborative law. You may even be considering representing yourself “pro se” (without an attorney). Margaret will guide you through this important decision-making step, which will include your cost considerations and personal divorce goals.
Be Prepared: Mediation and Negotiations with your spouse/partner
In many cases, the court may require you to attend mediation. In others, you will have chosen mediation as your path to divorce or the allocation of parental responsibilities (parenting time and decision-making). Margaret will help you anticipate the unexpected and be prepared for mediation and/or for negotiations that may occur outside of mediation. The coaching goal is for you to be able to put your emotions aside so that you can respond appropriately to offers and counteroffers.
emotionally healthy children
Good parents do everything in their power to minimize the impact of the separation or divorce on their children. If a parent is stressed or anxious, they may have difficulty with the transition to becoming a single parent. Margaret will help you sort through the emotions that come with this transition so that you can continue to prioritize your children's needs. Margaret will help you with parenting techniques, coach you on how to effectively communicate with your co-parent, how to avoid or manage conflict pre and post-divorce, how to effectively implement your parenting plan, as well as help you to determine whether it is time to seek a change to the parenting plan.
Help with special issues
Margaret has experience helping clients with special issues such as harassment, abuse (including litigation abuse), dealing with a personality disordered ex, and parental alienation. Parental alienation is a form of child abuse and in the worst cases results in a total disruption of the parent-child bond. These issues present unique challenges for the unwary. Getting the right support, as early as possible, is absolutely critical. Margaret will support and coach you through these most difficult situations; helping you to become educated, empowered and properly prepared for a “high-conflict” divorce or for “high-conflict” post-divorce litigation.