One of my driving missions and what inspired me to start my professional practice, Divorce ReDefined, is to increase the knowledge and understanding of both marriage and separation. When I found myself navigating the divorce process in my early 40s, I was embarrassed, shocked and terrified to discover how little I truly knew about the legal implications of marriage and what the divorce process actually entailed. Let's focus on the #1 leading misconception: If you work with a Divorce Coach it means you are getting a divorce. I'll get one thing straight right off the bat. As a Divorce Coach I am in no way "pro-divorce". Just because divorce was the right decision for me, does NOT mean it is the right decision for everyone. Mine was actually years in the making, but this is not always the case for others. And in fact, for some divorce may be the wrong decision. What I am though is pro-happiness, pro-empowerment, pro-mental and emotional health, pro-family and pro-wellbeing. Whether that means staying married or getting separated, I not only have first hand experience with how it feels emotionally and how it works systematically, I also have the tools, education, expertise and professional network to guide others in making decisions they are comfortable with - decisions that are right for their family - and support them along the way so it can happen as smoothly, as rationally and as cost-effectively as possible. The dissolution of a marriage is a big deal, and it is not something that one should enter into lightly. You have built a life with someone, created a home and perhaps are still raising children together; therefore; the decision, as well as the process, deserves to be handled with care, maturity and thoughtful consideration.