Category Archives: Divorce/Separation | Eileen Coen, JD Mediation
Is Divorce Stress Making You Sick?
Is divorce stress making you sick? If you’re in the midst of a separation or divorce, you’re probably no stranger to stress — but did you know that the higher conflict your divorce is, the more it puts your health at risk? This Psychology Today article is not new — but it offers a… Read More »
Four Strategies for Mediating a High Conflict Divorce
Mediating a high-conflict divorce. Sometimes people assume that the only way to handle their divorce with a high-conflict partner is to “lawyer up” and “buckle down” for the roller coaster ride. Statistically, this approach leads to increased conflict and less satisfaction with the results. There are also enormous financial and emotional costs, which can… Read More »
Want to Avoid a Long Divorce?
The 17-year long divorce proceedings of two law professors in Ohio have been highly publicized in the news recently. While their protracted case made headlines, most of us have heard a story or two about a horrible divorce that went on for years – and years. Here are some of the issues a couple,… Read More »
Five Tips for Dating During Separation
So you and your spouse are separated. You’re living in your own place. Your spouse is living somewhere else. You’re waiting out the requisite year of separation to file for divorce, but you’re feeling antsy to move on with your life, to meet someone else, to date. … It’s not unusual at this juncture… Read More »
Is Mediation Appropriate for Couples Who Want to Reconcile?
One of the first questions I ask my clients is “Has there been a decision to divorce?” I ask because couples seek help at various stages of their marriage crisis. Sometimes both people are quite sure they’re ready for divorce. Often, only one person is. And sometimes, neither party is sure they want a divorce, but… Read More »
An International Parenting Plan for Hannah
Eliza is an American, who works for an international aid agency. She is about to embark on a two-year assignment in Jordan. Peter is German. He is an economist with plans to return to his home country to teach at a university. Together, they are trying to work out custody for their six-year-old daughter,… Read More »
The Role of Conflict Coaching in Divorce Mediation
What do conflict coaching and mediation have in common? Like mediation, the conflict coaching process is voluntary, confidential, and involves a neutral facilitator to address ways to resolve conflict; divorce mediation helps two or more people arrive at mutual agreements whereas conflict coaching helps one party understand and manage conflict.
Your Essential Guide to the Divorce Mediation Process
As a divorce mediator serving families in Maryland, Washington, DC and Virginia, I frequently receive inquiries about divorce mediation, like this one: Dear Eileen, My spouse and I want a non-adversarial divorce and we are looking for an experienced Maryland divorce mediator to help us. Can you tell me how the process works, how… Read More »
How to Get A Divorce: When Being “Right” is Wrong
Many people begin the divorce mediation process with at least one thing in common: Both parties want their divorce to be cooperative, quick, and cost-effective. That’s what they say at the outset and, I believe, that’s what they truly mean. However, once the negotiations begin, well-meaning people can fall into a trap that deepens… Read More »
7 Reasons Your Spouse Might Agree to Divorce Mediation
I can’t tell you how many times I receive phone calls from people seeking an uncontested divorce in Maryland, DC, or Virginia, but don’t know how to get their spouse to participate in mediation. Maybe the spouse is too angry or hurt or skeptical to try mediation. Maybe they already have a lawyer who… Read More »
