Disclaimer: This article does not constitute legal advice. If you have any questions about your individual situation it is best to seek the advice of an experienced legal professional.
In a divorce that seemed to go on forever, Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck handled betrayal, substance abuse and the breakdown of their marriage in the public eye with dignity. The couple seemed unwilling to let each other go, but were driven apart by infidelity and Ben Affleck’s drinking. They are now close to a divorce settlement pending Affleck’s discharge from rehab after a relapse. They have also been in mediation throughout the divorce, making their kids and their friendship a priority in negotiations.
Safety and Remaining on Good Terms
Jennifer Garner’s children are obviously a huge priority for her, but Ben Affleck’s substance abuse issues haven’t caused her to keep him away from the kids. Everyone’s situation is different, but divorce mediation can be a good space in which to get a commitment from both parties to do their best by the kids. This can include agreeing to get treatment for substance abuse issues. Jennifer Garner reportedly drove Ben Affleck to rehab. Depending on your situation, when there are substance abuse issues involved (especially where there are kids), staying closer to your spouse in negotiations rather than making an enemy of them can be safer than allowing their substance abuse issues to fester.
Mediation Can Make a Difficult Situation Easier
Divorce when there are substance abuse issues can be chaotic. In mediation you can set goals and timelines to manage a difficult situation. The following are a few things you can propose in mediation:
– Requiring supervised visits
– Requiring therapy or rehab
– Figuring out how to be a united front for your kids and how to explain to them about their parent’s substance abuse issues
– Making sure the kids are supported at school
– Tailoring custody to reflect which parent can meet their responsibilities
How We Can Help
We are caring, well-educated mediators who are skilled in applied financial mathematics, the law psychoanalysis, and game theory. We strive to efficiently comprehend your situation and its opportunities for sustainable and agreeable resolution. We can tailor our approach to the most sensitive of conflicts. We are local to the San Diego area, with other offices in California and Colorado, and can conduct meetings in person or via Telephone, Zoom or Facetime. We factor in child development and the child’s point of view into negotiations if necessary. Any resolution you come to will be informed by a deeper analysis of the conflict that can be psychoanalytic and/or more financially-focused. Conflict analysis can result in a more optimized understanding of the net community property, which adds value to the overall estate, benefiting you both. The sooner you can resolve your conflict, the sooner you can begin to craft a sustainable future for you and your children. Our specially trained divorce mediator-accountants can also help reveal and investigate the proven financial facts of a divorce to make a full financial appraisal of your divorce and to suggest creative solutions for financial planning after divorce. Our high-level divorce mediation services are tailored to the needs of people with complex lives or divorces that may be difficult or protracted. We can intervene to break litigation deadlocks when divorces are already underway. We work with individuals from several cultures and countries, and can help with national and international relocation issues associated with divorce. You can visit us at our offices in Boulder, CO, Campbell, CA, Irvine, CA and Beverly Hills, CA. We are available 7 days a week and at urgent notice. Please contact us to see how we can help.
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