Though modern households often have two working parents, it is still not uncommon for one parent to stay home and take care of the children. Stay-at-home parents face a unique set of worries with it comes to divorce. If you are a stay-at-home parent, your spouse may have provided you with a sense of stability, but as that disappears, you are likely facing a great deal of uncertainty. Now, you may find yourself worrying about things you never thought you would have to worry about, like where you and your children will live and how you will be able to provide for your children.

Fortunately, there are ways you can address these issues when going through your divorce. Specific issues that other divorcing parents may not have to deal with, such as spousal maintenance, suddenly become extremely important to your divorce case. Even issues that most divorcing couples have to deal with, such as property division and child support, can be different when one spouse was a stay-at-home parent. Here are a few tips that may help stay-at-home parents better navigate divorce:

1. Gather All of Your Important Documents

Before you begin with the divorce, you need to make sure you have an accurate picture of your financial situation. For some stay-at-home parents, finances are dealt with by their spouse, and they might not even have direct access to the family’s financial information. Understanding your financial picture will ensure that you get everything you need and deserve out of your divorce. You will need to gather specific types of documents and provide copies to your attorney. You will want to make sure that you have located:

Any public activity is potential evidence in court proceedings, including your social media activity. Anything you choose to share or post can become a legally admitted court document in any court case, including your divorce. Although your short rant about your soon-to-be ex-spouse was temporarily stress-relieving -- not to mention the complete validation you felt when your friends and family members supported you through likes, loves, and comments -- you are less likely to experience the same satisfaction when it comes back to haunt you in the courtroom.

Try These Tips at Home

It is ill-advised to avoid social media entirely. Not only is social media an excellent way to grow and maintain the ever-important support system, but it is also a free source of unlimited information. Be on the lookout for posts regarding you or your ex’s behavior, and enlist a trusted friend or family member to help. Immediately address anything that could be potentially damaging to your case. Simultaneously, anything that could help should be brought to the attention of your attorney immediately. Here are some ways you should use social media to your advantage:

• Watch what your friends and family say about you;
• Make yourself look good by boosting your personality and good deeds;
• Grow your emotional support team;
• Post with caution; and
• Gather information in your favor.

Avoid These Damaging Behaviors

First and foremost, whatever you do decide to post, leave it be. If you are caught deleting photos -- even if you later decide you did not like the way you look --  it can be depicted as removing evidence, an offense which can result in hefty fines for both you and your attorney. Not only that, but judges often assume that you are actively hiding negative details about yourself. Their assumption is legal and is known as adverse inference. Therefore, if there are pictures and messages, leave them there, but be extremely cautious about what you post. It is best to avoid these shares:

 If you are struggling with thoughts of divorce, the divorce process, or recovering from a recent divorce, an experienced divorce coach can provide the support that you need. Separation brings with it an entire life change, not just for you, but also for your children and close family members. It is an adjustment for everyone involved. A divorce coach can help you to understand and work through a wide range of emotions and also provide support for your situation.

What a Divorce Coach is Not

Before we begin discussing what a divorce coach is, let us explain what it is not. A divorce coach is not a doctor, nor is coaching clinical in any way, as is therapy or counseling. Rather than delving into your past to uncover the underlying causes of your problem, or assuming the existence of a mental health concern, a divorce coach assists you with the divorce process, guiding you to attain your goals, work through decisions, and progress through transitions. A divorce coach will not provide a diagnosis of any kind; and although they can work in conjunction with an attorney, they are not a substitute for your attorney.

How a Divorce Coach Can Help

A divorce coach serves in a mentorship capacity throughout the divorce process, assisting clients in taming the emotional roller coaster. As humans, when we are overly sensitive, rational thought may not always be at the forefront, and our decision-making and communication skills suffer. With our emotions in check, the overall divorce process progresses smoother. Your coach can also help you understand what is coming next, assist you in evaluating your priorities, and advise on a compelling strategy so you can go into the meeting with the attorney cool, confident, and collected. You coach will work directly with your legal team to help guide you through the challenging process, and provide you with feedback along the way. Benefits of using a coach include:

In divorce, sometimes the grief of the loss of a marriage is so overwhelming that clarity and rational thought are difficult to maintain. This period is frequently referred to as an “emotional roller coaster” because emotions run the gamut from sadness to anger and even moments of joy. Brains are unable to act rationally and irrationally simultaneously; therefore, when emotions run high, logic becomes potentially non-existent. Clients coping with a particularly stressful divorce often find relief after consulting with a divorce coach. 

What is a Divorce Coach?

A divorce coach is a mental health professional trained to assist you and your spouse find effective ways of communicating to nurture healthy discussions regarding children, finances, and other aspects of divorce. A divorce coach is not a therapist, but rather someone that asks questions that help overcome divorce roadblocks.

Although the term “divorce coach” is relatively new, divorcees around the country are singing the praises of the benefits that come with a divorce coach. These are consistently cited as the top three benefits of incorporating one into your divorce process: