Interview about Ben Stich's Divorce Mediation Services

Interview about Ben Stich’s Divorce Mediation Services

“Respectful divorce.”

Unconventional phrasing for many ears.

We hear about ugly and disrespectful divorces all the time in our society. In the news (think Brad Pitt and Angela Jolie). At work. In the neighborhood. Perhaps in your own family. Sadly, with disrespect comes conflict.

A disrespectful divorce can be costly on so many levels:

  • Financially
  • Loss of time
  • Lack of control over the outcome
  • For parents, more harmful stress for children

Divorce does not need to be disrespectful.

The Respectful Divorce Podcast

My colleagues Tim Crouch and Camille Milner host the Respectful Divorce Podcast. They have devoted their time and resources to spread the word about respectful divorce. They have learned that divorce mediation services and collaborative divorce can facilitate a respectful divorce process.

They believe a respectful divorce can be a savings on so many levels:

  • Financially
  • Saving time
  • Providing more control over the outcome
  • For parents, decreasing stress for children

Respectful Divorce: An Interview about Ben’s Divorce Mediation Services

I had the great pleasure of being interviewed by Camille about collaborative and divorce mediation services. To listen simply hit the play button.

Thank you for listening. Learn more about how mediation might help you with a respectful divorce by completing the contact form.

Close-up Of Hand With Pen On Petition For Divorce Paper

How to Get an Uncontested Divorce in Massachusetts

In Massachusetts an uncontested divorce is called a no-fault 1A divorce. In a 1A the couple jointly petitions the court to review and approve their separation agreement, which is the divorce agreement (a confusing misnomer for those already separated). The couple will have already come to agreement on all terms of their divorce, including the division of assets and liabilities and for parents, the parenting plan.

Options for Pursuing an Uncontested Divorce in Massachusetts

There are three ways to pursue an uncontested divorce in Massachusetts:

Do-it-yourself divorce:

It is possible to file for divorce on your own. The benefit of doing so is that it is the quickest and least expensive approach. It is best suited for short-term marriages with minimal assets and no children. The disadvantage is that for parents and/or couples with assets it be can difficult to make informed decisions about very important matters (your kids and your money) without the guidance of a divorce professional. Unfortunately, it is common for do-it-yourself agreements to be rejected by the court (and I have mediated agreements for couples who first tried to file on their own to then have a judge fail to approve the agreement).

Divorce Mediation:

Divorce mediation is the next most cost-effective process. The mediator facilitates the divorce negotiation and provides important information to make sure informed decisions are made. If there is disagreement the mediator will help the couple resolve their conflicts. The couple remains in control of their decisions and can determine the pacing of the process. Mediation is confidential which can help couples negotiate in good faith. Mediation is also voluntary and is effective for both amicable couples and couples experiencing high conflict…as long as both spouses choose to participate.

Collaborative Divorce:

Collaborative Divorce is a team approach to divorce. Both spouses hire a collaboratively trained attorney. A divorce coach facilitates the process. The coach works with the couple to support their participation in the process. The coach also works with the attorneys to help them function as a team to address the interests of both spouses. The attorneys may only negotiate when in team meetings with the spouses and the divorce coach present. Often, a financial neutral also joins the team to provide financial guidance. Collaborative divorce is more expensive than mediation but usually less expensive than contested divorces. Like mediation, the couple negotiates directly and has control over the outcome. Unlike mediation, the negotiation occurs with their legal counsel on hand to provide direct guidance through the process.

One other uncontested divorce option:

If a spouse has filed a 1B divorce the couple can still participate in Mediation or Collaborative Divorce and change the contested 1B divorce to an uncontested 1A divorce.

To learn more about how mediation or collaborative divorce can help you file an uncontested divorce contact Ben for a free half hour consultation.

man working on laptop, sign for Webinar overlaying image

Getting Divorced in Massachusetts with Dignity: Mediation and Collaborative Law

I am excited to share a webinar certified divorce financial analyst Andrea McGrath and I facilitated about getting divorced in Massachusetts.

Our focus: getting divorced with dignity!

Getting Divorced in Massachusetts Webinar

 

In this webinar we describe the different pathways to getting divorced in Massachusetts. There are several uncontested approaches to divorce. We explained the process for a do-it-yourself divorce, a mediated divorce, and using collaborative law. Similarly, we shared information about contested divorce: attorney-negotiated divorce and litigation.

We reviewed the advantages and disadvantages of each approach. Looking at the different processes we discussed factors like the degree of decision-making control each provides for the divorcing couple; overall expense and duration of the process; control over outcomes; opportunity to create a child-centered divorce; and privacy.

I am a divorce mediator and collaborative law coach, and Andrea is a financial neutral for collaborative law cases. Naturally, we paid particular attention to the uncontested divorce approaches of mediation and collaborative law, including the role of the mediator, collaborative coach and financial neutral.

To bring the concepts alive we shared several powerful case studies. For instance, one case study about two teachers reveals the benefit mediation provided to these parents after trying a contested divorce approach for a year.

In addition, Andrea shared best practices about the financial aspects of divorce. She offered great tips on how to secure financial health before, during and after divorce.

About the presenters:

Ben Stich is a mediator and divorce collaborative law coach in Natick, MA. Ben specializes in all types of family conflict, such as divorce, co-parenting communication and decision-making, marital issues, adult sibling disputes, and more.