NEWS — PRESS
The House of Divorce in Le Vif
« Couple — The Meeting Point » — Article by Ingrid Van Langhendonck, Le Vif, 15 June 2026.
The magazine Le Vif dedicates an article to The House of Divorce, the first Brussels centre to offer an interdisciplinary approach to separation. Around the same table: a lawyer, an accountant and tax advisor, a psychotherapist, a child psychiatrist, a mediator, a financial coach, as well as parental guidance; all gathered to help couples build an agreement rather than endure a procedure.
« We receive many couples exhausted from fighting too much. »
A response to a field observation
In Belgium, nearly one in three marriages ends in divorce, and more than half of these separations involve minor children. For Caroline Simon, a lawyer at the Brussels Bar and founder of The House of Divorce, the observation is clear: « The problem in family matters is not just legal; it is also emotional, financial, and patrimonial. » It is from this observation that the idea of a unique place where all these dimensions are addressed together was born.
More than mediation: an interdisciplinary approach
Where mediation alone imposes neutrality and prohibits any legal advice, The Divorce House adopts an interdisciplinary approach: to enlighten couples about case law, about what a judge would impose, about the tax and asset consequences of their choices. The accountant Etienne Claes intervenes from the beginning of the process, the psychotherapist Laurence Erlich addresses the emotional burden, and the child psychiatrist Kristell Ackerman can, at a later stage, meet the children to ensure that the agreements reached are livable for them.
“The simple act of properly framing people untangles things.”
Save time, preserve relationships, manage the budget
The process begins with a free 20-minute consultation and then a tailored support, depending on the family's needs, is offered. The goal: to manage the duration of the procedure and avoid years of back and forth between lawyers. A traditional judicial expertise now costs around €2,500 per spouse; a contentious divorce can exceed €4,000 per parent, sometimes much more. The multidisciplinary support of The Divorce House aims precisely to avoid these excesses, keeping the parties and their children at the centre of the process.
A first in Belgium
As highlighted by Le Vif, The Divorce House is the first initiative of its kind in Belgium. Validated by the Brussels Bar, the project aims to spread: “I would be delighted if other divorce houses could emerge in the future, in other cities in Belgium. A bit like a family planning,” confides Caroline Simon.
The article “Couple — The Common Ground” by Ingrid Van Langhendonck was published in Le Vif on 15 June 2026.