Expo aims to lessen strife in divorces

The breakup of a marriage signals the end of one phase of life but can mean a new, empowering beginning, said Francine Baras, who has helped organize the city's first divorce expo this weekend in Manhattan.

The often adversarial nature of divorce does not have to be, said Baras, who runs the website, Start Over Again, which is sponsoring the event at the Metropolitan Pavilion.

Divorce can be a simple, manageable process, she said, even a stepping-stone to a brighter future. It doesn't have to be a knock-down, drag-out "War of the Roses"-style free-for-all with expensive lawyers lining their pockets, she said.

"We shouldn't rely on an attorney to get us through a divorce anymore," said Baras, a family social worker, who organized the expo with her daughter Nicole Baras Feuer, a divorce family mediator from Westport, Conn. "This will be a one-stop shopping."

The exhibition, which costs $75 for Saturday and $125 for the weekend, will include 100 experts on hand to discuss aspects of divorce such as getting a fair share of the finances; mediation instead of the courtroom; keeping divorce stress free for parents and children, and helping divorced singles get back into the dating pool, Baras said.

Randi Lambert, 43, of Manhattan, is preparing to sign off on her divorce and said the expo will help her "make sure that I am making an educated decision and that my settlement is in the best interest of me and my kids."

Besides the professional expertise offered at the expo there will also be panel discussions where divorced men and women will share their personal stories.

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"I don't have a PhD doctorate, but I have a story," said single father and blogger Kyle Bradford, an Atlanta banker, who will be a panelist discussing his life as a divorced father who helps raise his children with his ex-spouse.

"I got divorced, but I didn't run. I stuck it out and I do my share. I believe that a divorced father can be a great father,'' said Bradford, who writes on a website about single-father parenting with the premise: "Live up to your responsibilities."

There will also be a panel discussion for baby boomers going through a divorce after several decades of marriage.

"This is becoming a real issue," Baras said. "People are living longer and are finding themselves facing a new future now that their children are grown."