Celebrity couples have been getting a lot of press lately for their amicable breakups. Perhaps the most notable among these couples is actress Gwyneth Paltrow and her ex-husband Chris Martin, who coined the term “conscious uncoupling.” Other celebrities have followed suit, including actor Orlando Bloom and model Miranda Kerr, who announced their divorce earlier this year and said they wished to remain amicable for the good of their young son.
Although celebrities may be getting credit for the idea in the press, the fact is that “friendly divorce” is nothing new, and you don’t have to be a celebrity to pull it off. Right here in Texas, divorcing couples have had success minimizing conflict and animosity during divorce through a process known as divorce mediation.
Divorce mediation is a process of resolving divorce-related issues like child custody, visitation and property division outside of the conventional courtroom setting. Instead of taking their case before a judge, divorcing couples who use mediation can work with their lawyers and a trained mediator to find areas of common ground and work toward a resolution that everyone can agree to. Unlike a judge, a mediator is required to remain neutral and will not take sides with either spouse.
Mediation can be especially helpful for divorcing parents since it can help lay the groundwork for a successful collaboration as co-parents. By keeping conflict to a minimum during and after the divorce, mediation can make the transition easier for parents as well as children. Because kids are often highly sensitive to conflict between their parents — especially during divorce — mediation can be an effective way to help reduce stress and anxiety for kids when a marriage ends.
Source: Calgary Herald, “Celebrities show how to split up and still be friends with your ex,” Victoria Lambert, June 11, 2014
