Husband & Wife Walk . . . (to divorce court) (Photo credit: Keoni Cabral)

We get a number of inquiries about finding attorneys from people contemplating separation and divorce and many voice concern about the expense and emotional toll the process takes. Now there’s help, and it’s publicly available.

Laura Wasser, a celebrity family law attorney, recently published, It Doesn’t Have to Be That Way: How to Divorce Without Destroying Your Family or Bankrupting Yourself.  Among the celebrities she has reportedly represented – Christina Aguilera, Angelina Jolie, Kim Kardashian, Heidi Klum, Ashton Kutcher, Ryan Reynolds, Maria Shriver, Britney Spears and Kieffer Sutherland, and the former wives of Kobe Bryant and Mel Gibson.  In an E! interview about the book, Ms. Wasser explained that every divorce should be treated like a “business transaction.”

[I tell clients] let’s do this in a way that we can keep your sanity and your bank accounts intact. There’s no reason to turn this into some kind of a melodrama.

Although talking about celebrity divorces, Ms. Wasser advises that divorces may take time to conclude:

It takes a while because you have to compile information and exchange it, and then you have to make a deal . . . when things take a long time, often it’s because one party or another is not really ready to cut the cord.

Her advice to anyone embarking on a divorce in a second E! interview:

The advice that I would give to any couple that was going through a separation or divorce is that you need to really, really think about what the road ahead is going to be.  This is someone who you have children, with whom you have a family with whom you have spent many years. . . . Be kind, and be reasonable and be brief.

For anyone thinking about separating or getting a divorce, LPR recommends watching/reading the following links for more of Ms. Wasser’s insights:

• Dealing with divorce: How to move on (today.com)
• Culture: Laura Wasser (interviewmagazine.com)
• Laura Wasser Blogs: What You Can Learn From A Celebrity Divorce (people.com)

Separation and divorce do not have to be expensive, destructive endeavors.  Even though you only have control over your own actions and intentions, if you can separate your emotion from the transactional reality of the dissolution, there are ways to end a marriage peacefully, including mediation and collaborative divorce.  While child custody issues can complicate the process, hopefully both parties understand that a peaceful dissolution is in the best interest of the children and the parents.  Do your research – become informed – and above all, “try to end your marriage as compassionately and considerately as you can.”  It really is the best thing for you, your spouse and your children.