We’ve been doing divorce mediation for close to 13 years. And now we enter a new decade — the 2020s. What will the 2020s bring in divorce mediation? We think it’ll be known as the “Mediation Decade” as couples focus on building new futures rather than tearing things apart. They’ll focus on the kids, the business, and their way forward. So, let’s take a look at what’s coming in the 2020s.
The Decade of the Compassionate Divorce
We’ve always been about fairness and compassion with our clients. That’s what being trained in counseling brings to the mediation table. And we see that trend continuing into the 2020s. While we’re all bombarded with fear and stress through social media and the news, we can help you shield yourselves and your kids from that. In the 2020s, we expect divorce to take on a more civil, cooperative experience for both spouses, so that you can choose a healthy path for yourself moving forward. Which brings us to Emotional Intelligence.
Emotional Intelligence (EQ) is “one’s ability to deal with other people while being sensitive to emotions.” We’re hearing more and more about that in business, relationships, and in divorce mediation. Keeping emotions in check and getting to the best agreement is the key to a successful mediation, and that’ll continue into the 2020s.
Read more about Divorce Mediators with High EQ.
Co-Parenting and Blended Families
Previous decades saw divorced parents battling it out in court for the custody of their kids. That destroyed both families and finances. We’re getting smarter as we slide into the new decade. Divorcing parents now put the priority on the well-being of their children, and that’s made the notion of co-parenting the latest trend.
Read more about Co-Parenting.
Divorce and the Family Business in 2020
28% of couples originally chose to get married for financial reasons. We’re also seeing more and more startups in America. Those two trends will put the family business right at the center of divorce in the 2020s. Emotions run high in a divorce and there can be additional strain when the family’s other “baby” is involved.
Cooperation, fairness and that high EQ will all play a part in helping entrepreneurial couples get through their mediated divorce with fairness and compassion, all while keeping the going concern of the business as a top priority.
Read more about Divorce and the Family Business.
Trends in Divorce
We already touched on how Millennials are affecting the divorce rates in the US due to their discerning strategies in picking a partner and their focus on financial stability. Heading into the 2020s, we’re also seeing more re-marriage and mixed marriages (up from 3% to 17% from 1967 to 2015, Pew). While baby boomers are doing their best to keep divorce rates high, the overall rates are slowly decreasing. One interesting thing to note is how younger people are picking cohabitation over marriage! Less marriage can mean less divorce.
Conclusion
You’ve heard me call this generation the “Mediation Generation”. Well, it looks like going into the 2020s, we’ll see the “Mediation Decade” as couples focus more on the positive outcomes of a divorce, such as remaining great parents to their kids, keeping the family business going, and getting out of the marriage with a focus on the best path forward for each spouse. And the way to achieve those results is through a fair, compassionate divorce mediation. That’s what we see coming in the 2020s.