Social media has become the place to share meaningful life occasions such as birthdays, engagements, marriages…and now divorces.

ENTER “DIVORCE SELFIES”

The growing trend of “divorce selfies” shows newly divorced couples happily together, often outside the courthouse, after finalizing this major life change.

According to a recent article on Mediate.com by Hadassah Fidler, this trend actually represents the changing face of divorce from an angry and bitter separation to a scenario where “emphasis is on conciliatory divorce and mediation,” which is especially important for couples with child custody and visitation concerns.

It's an outcome most everyone would like, but it doesn't happen without work.

LOOKING BEHIND THE SMILES

Although divorce selfies give the impression that the divorce planning process was easy and uncomplicated, Ms. Fidler sees them as a statement of successfully navigating a very difficult situation. “It is not saying that there was not a lot of hurt and obstacles to overcome along the way,” says Fidler. “It means that there were, but they were overcome and here we are on the other side.”

These pictures prove that while an amicable divorce is challenging it's also quite obtainable with the help of divorce mediation professionals.

MANAGING EXPECTATIONS

The expectation of collaborative divorce is that it will be a smooth process with no difficulties or hard feelings, so when these do occur many couples want to give up. A good divorce mediator helps couples to manage their expectations and ultimately announce that they worked through the issues and separated amicably–without a long and expensive court battle.

Ms. Fidler comments that “you are much more likely to come out with a divorce selfie from mediation than you ever will from litigation” because mediation allows “each person to move forward and still retain a civilized workable relationship with their former partner.”

Is your goal to have a cooperative divorce (and maybe post your own divorce selfie)? Contact me to learn how I can help make this happen.