Can you use divorce mediation if one of the parties has a substance use disorder and abuses drugs or alcohol? There is no absolute answer of yes or no for this question. It depends on how well the user and his/her spouse compartmentalizes the use of drugs and/or alcohol. If it is pervasive and substances are used throughout each day then mediation will most likely not work. The non-using spouse can still get divorced and it can still be a more amicable process if they use a mediation-friendly divorce attorney. You don’t have to stay married to someone addicted to substances just because that person can’t participate in divorce mediation.
At our practice the mediators have noticed that certain employment fields seem to have a higher-than-average divorce rate and more frequent self-reports by at least one spouse of problems with alcohol or drugs. We have helped many people in these careers get divorced in a more amicable, faster, less expensive manner than a contentious litigation process. The presence of a substance use disorder does not preclude the spouses from participating in divorce mediation. Sometimes both spouses acknowledge the substance use in one of the spouses and other times one spouse thinks there is a substance abuse problem and the using spouse does not think it is an issue. Either way, mediation can work.
Westfield Mediation, LLC, offers you the choice of mediators to work with to address all the issues in your divorce agreement. You can develop a parenting plan, divide of all of your marital assets and debts, calculate child support and address spousal support either with Randi Albert, who has a background in law or Michelle Weinberg, who has a background in therapy. Either Randi or Michelle is more than capable of addressing all of these issues. But when one or both spouses may have a substance use disorder you may like having the option of choosing specifically someone with the law background or the mental health background. Just another characteristic that makes Westfield Mediation a great option for divorce mediation.
For more information on divorce and divorce mediation, please contact Randi M. Albert, JD, or Michelle Weinberg, M.Ed., Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, at Westfield Mediation, LLC at 908.913.0373. View our website at www.westfieldnjmediation.com or email us at info@westfieldnjmediation.com.
At our practice the mediators have noticed that certain employment fields seem to have a higher-than-average divorce rate and more frequent self-reports by at least one spouse of problems with alcohol or drugs. We have helped many people in these careers get divorced in a more amicable, faster, less expensive manner than a contentious litigation process. The presence of a substance use disorder does not preclude the spouses from participating in divorce mediation. Sometimes both spouses acknowledge the substance use in one of the spouses and other times one spouse thinks there is a substance abuse problem and the using spouse does not think it is an issue. Either way, mediation can work.
Westfield Mediation, LLC, offers you the choice of mediators to work with to address all the issues in your divorce agreement. You can develop a parenting plan, divide of all of your marital assets and debts, calculate child support and address spousal support either with Randi Albert, who has a background in law or Michelle Weinberg, who has a background in therapy. Either Randi or Michelle is more than capable of addressing all of these issues. But when one or both spouses may have a substance use disorder you may like having the option of choosing specifically someone with the law background or the mental health background. Just another characteristic that makes Westfield Mediation a great option for divorce mediation.
For more information on divorce and divorce mediation, please contact Randi M. Albert, JD, or Michelle Weinberg, M.Ed., Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, at Westfield Mediation, LLC at 908.913.0373. View our website at www.westfieldnjmediation.com or email us at info@westfieldnjmediation.com.
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