With “Divorce Corp” shedding light on corruption in the family law system, big changes are ahead.
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I am deeply committed to and passionate about the work I do every day.
Not because I am anti-marriage or pro-divorce. What I am is pro-sense. Pro-rational decision making. Pro-resourceful, resilience and productivity.
When someone getting divorced seeks out a mediator, collaborative divorce practitioner, or divorce coach, they realize they have an opportunity not only to move forward with their lives on a personal level, but also an opportunity to do so without having to endure the harrowing experience that our family system has institutionalized as the default route to divorce in the United States.
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Just how bad is this system? Take a look at the trailer below for the 2014 documentary, “Divorce Corp.”
It saddens me that even some of the seemingly sympathetic-to-the-problem professionals highlighted in this film have themselves served as enablers of the culture of corruption within the divorce industry. That’s OK, though. I am all in favor of making it more profitable for opportunists to work toward redesigning and developing a healthy model of practice and moving away from the status quo.
Thankfully, new advocates for systemic change are stepping up to the plate as well.
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The four resources below are examples of the burgeoning market being built from the ground up, mainly by entrepreneurs who had no background in the divorce industry until they found themselves entrenched in their own brutal divorce process, saw how incredibly destructive and predatory the field can be, and decided to do something about it.
Modern Shift
Modern Shift may be the most aesthetically pleasing, innovative site I have seen in development as a resource for anyone affected by divorce. Founded by Kyle Canepa, it features access not only to the standard professional experts, resources, and blogs, but an ongoing list of local events, job listings, and shops where you can find gifts for someone you know in need of some personal TLC during this excruciating life transition.
Email list subscribers receive a daily mantra first thing in the morning. When you click on the members section, you can see an up-to-the-minute geo-map of other members online — so important for those of us who can feel so alone during and after divorce.
“Our hope [is that] we can begin to change the divorce landscape with resources and services that make this life shift more positive and less tragic. I think we have a great opportunity for growth and change and transformation at this juncture in our lives and if handled with compassion and support, it could be far reaching in its effects. Just out to change the world…” – Kyle Canepa
Divorce Force
Divorce Force is an online community committed to empowering those affected by divorce. The forum includes discussions on technical divorce topics as well as on topics such as life after divorce, outrageous experiences, abusive marriages, same sex divorce, local forums, and more. There is a section on lawyer reviews, and a calendar system is under construction. One of my favorite functions on this site is the ability to look up others who have registered according to where they are and what aspects of divorce they share in common with you, so that you can find peer support along with the help of professionals.
Coparently
Coparently.com is an online calendar and communication tool for parents sharing custody of their children. As much at it would be ideal for all divorced co-parents to be able to text, call and schedule with each other freely, sometimes the tension and conflict that remain make this task harder than is has to be. Coparently.com offers a custody calendar, online communication tool, shared expense tracker, and more. There is even an option for children to have their own accounts at no charge that allow them to go on and check the custody calendar while blocking access to any communications between their parents.
This keeps children informed but not put in the middle.
Divorce Buddy
Divorce Buddy was co-founded by Jeremy Kossen and Renee Harrison. As stated on their website, www.divorcebuddy.co, their ultimate goal is to transform how people divorce by helping them stay focused on the needs of the children of divorce first and foremost. Their focus is currently on education efforts, mainly through the development of several informative podcasts, online course and books.
“We want to encourage and help facilitate collaborative law and mediation practices that can take place entirely OUTSIDE the court room in a non-litigious environment. We strongly believe divorce should first be approached from a therapeutic and transformational family focus.”
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Have you had an experience with new divorce resources out there? Share them here in the comments so more people can benefit from your first-hand experience and knowledge.
Click here for Part 1 of the Demystifying Divorce Series: Mediation
Click here for Part 2 of the Demystifying Divorce Series: Collaborative Divorce
Click here for Part 3 of the Demystifying Divorce Series: Litigation/Court
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Photo credit: Flickr/pnzVW7
