Smoothing the Bumpy Road of Divorce

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The Times Herald

SMOOTHING THE BUMPY ROAD OF DIVORCE
By Carl Rotenberg

WHITPAIN - Divorce is frequently an ugly, brutal end to a deteriorating relationship.
The emotional fallout, fueled by divorce attorneys interested in billable hours, can hurt the two-thirds of families that have children involved in the divorce.

Smoothing the Bumpy Road of Divorce with Alpha Center for Divorce Mediation And adults can use the divorce process to bludgeon their former mates either emotionally or economically.

The divorcing couples who can constructively work out a divorce agreement without rancor can now use a mediation service that combines a lawyer, a psychologist and an accountant.

The Alpha Center for Divorce Mediation, which started in 1994 at a Doylestown law office, expanded to a Blue Bell office last March and 794 Penllyn Pike. Attorney Keila M. Gilbert rapidly opened new offices this year in Jenkintown, Upper Merion, Philadelphia and Newtown, Bucks County.

Last year the mediation service helped 150 couples draft divorce agreements that were later reviewed by their personal attorneys. An initial one-hour consultation is followed by two-hour meetings with an attorney, a child psychologist and an accountant.

The pro se (representing themselves) divorce agreements drafted by the accountant and attorney must follow the applicable county guidelines for divorces. So child support and alimony will frequently mirror the charts used by divorce judges.

"We look at every (financial) thing needed at the time of divorce and we make it a comprehensive process," said Gilbert. "We look at budgeting, estate issues and insurance needs."

"We're neutrals in the process and we try to douse the emotional fires," she said. "A lot of times the divorce litigation fuels those fires."

Fees for the service, billed at $200.00 per hour, normally range from $2,000 to $3,000. A review of the agreement by an attorney and the filing fees for a divorce are additional costs of the divorce, Gilbert said.

Gilbert worked in a Montgomery County law office from 1980 to 1994 as a paralegal and office manager. She earned her law degree at Widener University Law School in 1993 and opened her own civil litigation practice in October 1995. After the Alpha Center started attracting clients, she closed her law practice in August.

Her own experience with divorce convinced her to learn mediation skills at a one-week training course at Coast-to-Coast Mediation of California.

Although divorces start throughout the year, Eileen Schanel Klitsch, the Alpha director of psychologist services, has noticed three peaks in filings each year. They come in January, July and November.

Schanel Klitsch speculated that divorcing couples act on New Year's resolutions when they split in January. Other couples manage to get through the school year and then start in July on their divorce. And others can't bear to live through another holiday season with their spouse and make the split in November.

Schanel Klitsch only meets with couples who have children and need help with custody and emotional issues. She rarely brings in the children and only when they are older adolescents. Schanel Klitsch and Gilbert took the same mediation course in Philadelphia five years ago. The company employs five attorneys, three psychologists and one accountant.

Christian V. Badali, the director of legal services, pointed out the each agreement contains penalties for noncompliance and demand for full disclosure of assets. Most divorce, agreements include similar protections.

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