What is Legal Coaching?
Legal coaching is a relatively new concept in the family law area. It is a way to assist an individual who is involved in an alternative dispute resolution process, such as mediation, to develop skills to productively resolve conflict. A legal coach meets with you one-on-one to discuss your situation and provide you with tools to help you navigate the process with more confidence. Your coach can answer questions about the law and how the law applies to your particular circumstances. Although you are ultimately responsible for all aspects of your legal matter, your legal coach will help you with identifying goals and exploring realistic options for achieving your best settlement.
Who is Legal Coaching for?
A legal coach is for people who are primarily acting for themselves, but would like some behind-the-scenes help in order to improve their experience and outcome. If you want to reach an agreement with your partner, but feel that you lack sufficient knowledge about the process, the law, or possible outcomes, you would benefit from legal coaching. Similarly, if you are nervous or uncomfortable in presenting your perspective, a legal coach can provide support throughout the process and help with communication skills that you can use on your own. Legal coaching is not therapy; the purpose is to help you develop the skills to overcome the challenges that come with the divorce process.
What are the benefits of Legal Coaching?
A legal coach provides you with the knowledge you need to move forward on your own, whether that would be in an ongoing mediation setting or to address conflict that develops later, after an agreement has been reached. A legal coach can help you evaluate a proposed agreement before you make it final. It’s a way of limiting the scope of legal representation, what is often referred to as “unbundled” services, and can be used as a stand-alone process or throughout the course of a particular conflict. Because you get to decide the level of service you need, you pay for only the service you want.
If you feel that you don’t need full-time legal representation, but would like the input of an attorney who is knowledgeable in the areas of family law and mediation to help you develop the skills to navigate conflict on your own, you might want to consider the assistance of a legal coach.
I’ve been practicing family law for almost 35 years and have helped most of my clients resolve their cases without going to court. If you think I might help you navigate your conflict, schedule a consultation to discuss your situation.
