It has been a while since actress Gwyneth Paltrow invented a catchphrase for the end of a marriage. Michigan residents might remember when Paltrow and her musician husband Chris Martin didn’t announce their divorce back in 2014, but rather announced their conscious uncoupling. The phrase resonated with millions globally, since most people understood that although the couple would no longer be married, they considered their family to still be intact.

The couple made the conscious decision to have an amicable end to their marriage to keep family bonds together for the best interests of their two children. Even though seven years have passed, many people still refer to their divorce as a conscious uncoupling even though the actress received some backlash for coining the term. In a media interview, Paltrow said the phrase was meant to avoid the nastiness of divorce and be at a place where she and Martin could simply continue as friends.

Many parents who divorce today have the same goal in mind. They want to remain friends so they can positively co-parent their children. It doesn’t always pan out that way with some issues needing to be solved through litigation.

Whether it’s termed conscious uncoupling by some and divorce by others, the end of a marriage is as personal as the couple. Since divorce is not a cookie cutter process, getting independent legal advice from a Michigan attorney is essential. There may be issues that lead a couple to litigation where decisions will be made by a family court judge.