Case Study

Marriage & Divorce

Donna and Fred are at each other’s throats. As typically happens in a faltering marriage, the children are bearing the brunt of their parents’ unhappiness. The vignette opens from the teenage daughter’s point of view.

Each parent ultimately seeks legal advice regarding the possibility of divorce. Donna ends up in the office of an understanding attorney who emphasizes the value in trying to either keep the family together, or if all else fails, to end the marriage on an amicable basis through mediation.

Fred, on the other hand, seeks the advice of an extremely aggressive attorney. During their meeting, he realizes that the attorney seems more interested in padding her own pocketbook than helping Fred and Donna reach an amicable settlement. He doubts the advisability of going through with the attorney’s recommendations, but has been convinced by his friends that an aggressive lawyer is best.

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