50: What Women Need to Know About Divorce from a Divorce Coach with Sheila Brennan

<p class="p1">Today, Stephanie and Kevin are joined by Sheila Brennan, a divorce coach, who after being thrust into divorce herself 15 years ago, chose to use her experience to help others who struggled with the process. A divorce coach, she explains, is a relatively new concept, which is most easily described as a wedding planner for divorces. She helps her clients piece together their ideal divorce plan, and prepares them to execute it.<span class= "Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p class="p2"> </p> <p class="p1">Aside from the obvious (a lawyer), there are many different types of professionals that can aid one with a divorce, like a CPA and a therapist. Stephanie compares a divorce coach to a doula, as they act as a similar support element for clients. Sheila emphasizes the pragmatism she uses in her approach to her work, and how her objectivity can serve someone who is likely very emotional.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p class="p2"> </p> <p class="p1">Though people often approach her with the understanding that their divorce is <em>the worst divorce</em>, she sees them as incomparable. She doesn’t see divorce as something that can come out ‘well’ for someone, as it’s like a war, and <em>why couldn’t we find a way to resolve this without having a war?</em><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p class="p2"> </p> <p class="p1">Sometimes, she says, clients come to her prematurely, at which point she’ll advise them to take a beat before proceeding with divorce. Divorce means breaking a complex legal contract, and most people don’t consider its nuances when signing it. While recently, divorce rates have gone down slightly at large, gray divorces (those for people aged 50 and older), have increased, and are more often initiated by women. With gray divorce, the financials are more sensitive as they can impact retirement funds, and the parties are outside of earning years in which they can make up for it. Sheila recommends consulting strategies outside of court, such as using a me