Counseling and Coaching Services for Divorce

As a Divorce Coach, Lucy meets with parents to work on parenting plans and works with their attorneys and/or mediator. You do not have to be a part of the Collaborative Divorce Process or have an attorney. There are some parents that prefer this approach. Some parents work with just a mediator.

In the Divorce Coaching Role, Lucy only helps with parenting plans co- parenting skills and send the agreements to either the attorneys or mediator once we have it finalized. You and your co-parent create a plan that works best for your family and is not driven by the legal system – you as parents decide how you want your children’s parenting schedule to look like and how you will raise you children. Lucy will assist parents with helping them understand options and child development in regard to creating the plan so we can find solutions that both parents can walk away feeling good about. This cuts down on legal fees and gives parents control of their children’s future. Per parent request, she will also assist on how to move forward with co parenting so that they can avoid conflict in the future and develop the skills to use for when they run into disagreements in the future. Our goal is to keep families out of court, save resources, and provide early intervention.

As a parent coordinator, Lucy works with parents on Parallel Co Parenting and serves as an extension of the court. If parents are not able to agree, we would ultimately make the final decision based on your parenting plan in place. This service requires a Parent Coordination Agreement or Order from the court. Each Parent Coordination agreement is different and based on the family’s needs. As a Parent Coordinator our goal is to keep you out of court, reduce your legal fees, and help you move forward in the best interest of your children. While, if necessary, we will make a final decision for parents, however our goal is to help parents, despite the conflict learn how to make decisions together for their child versus having a someone who barely knows their child make it for them. Most parents do not want this and as a Parent Coordinator, we work with parents to help get them moving forward and use on an as needed basis.

Pre-Mediation Coaching helps parents get ready for mediation so that they can increase their chances of having a successful mediation. Coaching services focus on developing the parenting plan and custody during the mediation process.

Lucy is able to help families in the states of North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia cut down the legal costs and create a child centered parenting plan while also working with parents on co-parenting skills. In the state of Georgia, Lucy is a certified Mediator, and can help walk parents through the financial aspects of mediation and help parents see different outcomes using the Georgia Support Calculator, and different configurations before they go into mediation.

Pre-Mediation Coaching helps parents feel confident when they go into mediation and increases their chances of a successful mediation. If parents do not have legal counsel, Lucy will work directly with the Mediator and give the mediator the agreed upon parenting plan and work collaboratively with your mediator. Parents can refer themselves or your attorneys can refer their clients.

Lucy Dunning also works collaboratively with attorneys in helping prep their clients for mediation in complex cases so that parents have an opportunity to work through some of the roadblocks that might be keeping parents at an impasse. Together, clients develop a parenting plan that is best for their children with a neutral that can give guidance on the children’s age/development and if needed collaboration with your children’s therapist.

This service is for parents who have never been married, going through a divorce, and post-divorce. The process of raising a child is OVERWHELMING. It especially difficult if you and parenting with someone that you no longer have a relationship with. It can be EMOTIONALLY, FINANCIALLY, and PHYSICALLY draining. While going through a break up, separation and divorce, not only must you come to terms with the fact that your relationship and or marriage is ending, you must also figure out how to work with your partner/ex-spouse in a new role as being a “business partner” in raising your children. You have to find a way to separate the emotion from the lost relationship to continue to raise your kids so they can be healthy physically and mentally.

Co-Parenting looks different for each family. Some parents will only be able to parallel co parent-meaning little interaction and child focused. Some parents will be able to establish more of a business partnership. When children are involved choosing to have no interaction with your ex spouse increases your child’s chance of developing psychological disorders, relationship issues in the future, and being at risk for not having healthy relationships with both parents. Many Parents struggle to effectively work together when it comes to their children after they are no longer together.

Having some type of co-parent relationship is one of the most important things you can do for your children. Most importantly, your children will have lifelong benefits when they have two parents who can effectively work together as a united front-despite lacking trust and harboring negative feelings towards each other.

Co Parent Coaching consist of skill building, psychoeducational skills, streamlining communication, developing agreements, boundaries between parents to decrease conflict, reduce going to court and improve co-parenting outcomes.