What is a High-Conflict Divorce Coach?
Divorce is one of the most stressful experiences a person will face in a lifetime. A divorce or child custody battle with a high-conflict individual can take that stress to a level few can understand, and without the right support, it can be emotionally, psychologically, and financially crippling.
A high-conflict divorce coach can help you navigate divorce, child custody, and co-parenting issues with a high-conflict individual. We can help you:
- understand high-conflict individuals, their behaviors, and their motivations;
- separate yourself from the conflict, particularly in the eyes of the court;
- set realistic goals, manage your expectations, and choose your battles wisely;
- document your concerns strategically, saving you thousands in attorney fees;
- communicate in an authentic way that maintains your positive image;
- prepare for meetings with family court professionals, i.e. mediator, child custody evaluator, minor's counsel, family therapist;
- safeguard against accusations of parental alienation, enmeshment, and gatekeeping;
- establish clear boundaries and co-parent with a high-conflict individual;
- find the tools your children need to cope and weather the storm; and
- reclaim your happiness and look forward to what lies ahead.
High-Conflict Individuals
Children of High-Conflict Individuals
Children of High-Conflict Individuals
A Santa Clara University study showcases the unique challenges of divorcing a high-conflict individual:
"Instead of the typical motivation toward settlement, these cases feature a party who is drawn toward, rather than away from, conflict. Whether animated by a genuine belief in their cause, anger over the loss of a relationship, a desire to harass their now-opponent, an affinity for the pageantry of court, or some combination of these factors and others, the litigious client presses the family law court into service.
What distinguishes cases involving high-conflict personalities from these more typical disputes is that the individual with a high-conflict personality is not simply struggling to process a life transition. Instead, this individual is fueled by conflict; indeed, they obtain emotional or psychological gratification from it. One of the hallmarks of these cases is that the conflict is so protracted that it becomes normalized. Rather than progressing toward resolution, as time passes in these cases, the idea of a settlement grows increasingly remote."
Children of High-Conflict Individuals
Children of High-Conflict Individuals
Children of High-Conflict Individuals
Child custody battles with a high-conflict individual present challenges that most professionals have difficulty navigating. High-conflict individuals typically see themselves as the victims. When their own behavior or abuse causes the child(ren) to pull away from them, they frequently make false allegations of parental alienation to blame the healthy parent, or even the child(ren), for the consequences of their own damaging choices and behaviors.
Most high-conflict custody battles are propelled by the high-conflict individual's need to control, desire to "win" at all costs, and drive to hurt or punish the healthy parent. Their unhealthy motivations, driven by unwarranted rage and revenge, often override their ability to act in the best interest of the child(ren).
Without the right support, this post-separation abuse can have immediate and long-lasting effects on both the healthy parent and the child(ren). In order to cope with this difficult mental, physical, and financial process, a high-conflict divorce coach can help you strategically advocate for your child(ren)'s safety.