Divorce Reality Group - Domestic relations mediation, divorce recovery workshops and life coaching after divorces are finalized

Common to all of our work is the experience and desire to help you exercise control over your divorce related challenges, to the greatest extent possible.

Get a handle on the wildly ranging financial impacts of divorce.
Develop a realistic parenting philosophy, dealing with the rights and responsibilities of all parties involved.
Approach your personal post-divorce relationships with a clear head.

My name is Dell Deaton, and I've been a personal life coach and business consultant since 1983. I've been trained under Michigan Court Rule 3.216 in domestic relations mediation. I've created the longest continuously running divorce support group program in Washtenaw County, Michigan.

I've been through divorce myself, and I'm now parenting in a blended home after six years as a single dad.

So when it comes to the subject of divorce, the word "experience" has a rather unique and comprehensive meaning here. In a word, my practice is different.

Our approach to "the system" is to help you "fit" without "force" where we can. You'll find me efficient and responsive, but not high pressure.

You and/or your spouse are welcome to attend one of my weekly walk-in support groups to try out the "fit" with me before deciding to go forward on coaching or mediation. You may also get a better feel for how I interact with clients and my approach to divorce practice through original Divorce Balance articles (names changed to respect privacy, of course). Follow the link from any article title to the left here to read complete articles.

Give me a call at (734) 668-2001 to discuss any of this further.
Or click on the "eMail Dell" link if you prefer.

As a community service, Divorce Reality Group has created and maintains the free-access divorcePeers.com website. Over the years, divorcePeers.com has grown in response to a national and even international audience.

Divorce is a very difficult, very individual process. It deeply saddens me that anyone has to go through this. Respect the time you need to deal with things. Ask questions. Let me know if you'd like me to help you.

Take care.

Dell Deaton
Domestic Relations Mediator
and Divorce Coach

Weekly Blog on Resources Reading References

“Perspectives On Family Law & Social Science Research,” Family Court Review: An Interdisciplinary Journal, Volume 45, Number 1, Forrest S. Mosten, Gregory P. Lampe, Janet R. Johnson, Robert F. Kelly and Sarah H. Ramsey, Richard J. Gelles, and Kyle D. Pruett (January 2007)

Every so often you’ll read a professional journal that leverages one article after another to thoroughly flesh out one of the core issues of your work. The January 2007 issue of Family Court Review is just such a piece for me.

To summarize, contributing writer Janet R. Johnston writes: “…despite efforts to make contemporary family courts more collaborative, family law matters are situated in legal institutions that are historically and traditionally adversarial. In this highly political, adversarial context, where goals and agendas collide, advocacy for one’s viewpoint is the norm and so it should be no surprise that, when social science knowledge is brought into this arena to shed light on what to do about a problem, there is steadfast pressure to subject and subvert it to advocacy ends.

“Moreover, political activists need to send clear, simple, unambiguous messages — black-and-white truths, one-line shockers or sound bites — if they are going to get the attention of policy makers and the public in order to effect change. There is no room for the ifs and buts, the inherent tentativeness, complexity, or nuance that characterizes all social science knowledge because it would weaken their clarion call.”

More than once in this issue, you’ll see the term “TEGWAR” here, applied to family court proceedings. It’s an acronym that stands for “That Exciting Game Without Any Rules.” If you’re facing a divorce, wouldn’t such a system top your list of worst fears?

—posted by Dell Deaton @5:18 PM EST 3/18/2008
RSD 16610

Weekly Blog entries are indexed in our divorce articles by topic.