Debra Alper | Divorce Consultant & Relational Strategist
This Divorce Consulting Agreement (“Agreement”) is entered into between Debra Alper (“Consultant”) and the client named below (“Client”). By signing this Agreement, Client acknowledges that they have had an opportunity to ask questions about this Agreement and had their questions answered to their satisfaction. Client also acknowledges that they have read, understood, and agree to the terms below.
Consultant provides divorce consulting, relational strategy, communication support, and decision-making support to help Client navigate the emotional, interpersonal, and practical aspects of the divorce process.
Services may include support with communication strategy, relational dynamics, emotional preparation, boundary-setting, decision-making frameworks, co-parenting-related communication concerns, and preparation for difficult conversations.
Consultant does not provide psychotherapy, mental health treatment, diagnosis, clinical assessment, legal advice, mediation, financial advice, custody evaluation, forensic evaluation, crisis intervention, or expert-witness services under this Agreement.
Client understands that this is a strategic and consultative service only. No therapist-client relationship, physician-patient relationship, attorney-client relationship, mediator-client relationship, or legal or any other form of privilege is created by this Agreement.
Although Consultant may draw on professional experience and relational expertise, services under this Agreement are not psychotherapy and are not a substitute for therapy, legal advice, financial advice, medical care, domestic violence advocacy, or emergency services.
Client is encouraged to consult with their attorney, therapist, physician, financial advisor, or other appropriate professionals regarding legal, clinical, financial, safety, or medical matters.
Consultant is not an emergency or on-call provider. If Client is experiencing an emergency, safety threat, mental health crisis, domestic violence concern, or risk of harm to self or others, Client should contact 911, 988, local emergency services, a domestic violence hotline, their attorney, or another appropriate emergency resource.
Client may select one of the following engagement options:
Sessions are conducted by video consultation unless otherwise agreed.
Sessions are intended to be used within a consistent and ongoing engagement. If there are extended gaps between sessions, time may be used to re-establish context and review developments.
All services are paid in advance. Accepted forms of payment are Zelle or cash unless otherwise agreed.
Package engagements must be paid in full before the first session. Hourly consultations must be paid before the scheduled session.
Consultant is not bound to provide services until payment has been received.
Additional Time is not covered by package sessions (such as: conversations with lawyers and other divorce professionals, time spent reading motions, preparing for meetings, travel time if needed, reading, emails, text messages, etc.). Bills for Additional Time will be sent biweekly and are due upon receipt.
No sessions will continue unless any outstanding bills are paid. Consultant may decline, pause, or suspend all services until any outstanding balance is paid in full.
If hourly services exceed three (3) hours, a retainer of $2,500 is required before further services are provided. The retainer will be applied toward future services.
If additional work is requested after the retainer is exhausted, Consultant may require an additional retainer before continuing services.
All payments are non-refundable. Unused sessions are not refundable, transferable, or exchangeable for other services.
Unless otherwise agreed in writing:
Consultant may extend these times at Consultant’s discretion but is not required to do so.
A minimum of forty-eight (48) hours’ notice is needed to cancel or reschedule a session, with no exceptions.
A late cancellation, missed appointment, or no-show will result in one (1) session of a package being used, or $600 billed if Client is paying hourly. Such charges are due immediately.
Sessions begin and end at the scheduled time. If Client arrives late, the session will proceed only for the originally scheduled time and will not run over to make up the missed time.
Communication between sessions is limited and is not intended to replace scheduled consultation time.
For hourly and four-session clients, communication beyond scheduling is billable at $600 per hour, prorated.
For eight-session clients, reasonable email support is included. However, any calls or emails that require more than fifteen (15) minutes of Consultant’s time will be billed at the standard rate of $600 per hour, prorated. This does not mean that Consultant is on call or available for urgent, immediate, after-hours, weekend, or crisis communication.
After-hours, weekend, excessive, urgent, or complex communication may be billed separately or redirected to a scheduled session.
Business hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM Central Time, excluding holidays and periods when Consultant is unavailable.
Consultant is not an on-call provider. Texts, emails, calls, or other communications beyond scheduling or simple logistics may be billable.
Consultant may redirect ongoing, lengthy, emotionally urgent, complex, or significant communication to a scheduled consultation.
Consultant may decline to respond substantively by text or email when, in the Consultant’s sole discretion, the issue is better addressed in session or by another professional.
Abusive, harassing, threatening, excessive, inappropriate, or boundary-violating communication may result in suspension or termination of services without refund.
Consultant will handle Client information with discretion and will protect the Client’s privacy. However, Client understands that this service does not create clinical confidentiality, therapist-client privilege, attorney-client privilege, mediation privilege, legal privilege or any other form of privilege.
Consultant may disclose information when Client gives permission, when required by law, in response to legal process, to address safety concerns, to collect unpaid fees, to obtain professional consultation, or as otherwise permitted or required by applicable law.
Client understands that electronic communication, including email, text, and video platforms, may carry privacy and security risks. Client is responsible for choosing a private location and using secure devices and networks when participating in consultations. See the Telecommunications Informed Consent form.
With Client’s written permission, Consultant may coordinate with Client’s attorney or other professionals.
Attorney coordination, case review, written summaries, calls with professionals, or preparation for professional meetings will be billable unless otherwise agreed.
Additional hourly time for lawyer consultations regarding the case, reading motions, attorney coordination, case review, written summaries, calls with professionals, and similar work will be invoiced biweekly, and payment is due immediately upon invoice.
Consultant’s coordination with an attorney does not make Consultant part of the legal team, does not create attorney-client privilege, and does not mean Consultant is providing legal strategy or legal advice.
Consultant does not provide custody evaluations, parenting recommendations for court, forensic opinions, litigation opinions, court testimony, affidavits, declarations, expert-witness services, or letters for use in legal proceedings under this Agreement.
Consultant will not voluntarily participate in litigation, discovery, subpoenas, depositions, or court proceedings unless separately agreed in writing or legally required.
If Consultant is required or requested to respond to legal process, subpoenas, attorney requests, depositions, court appearances, document requests, or similar legal matters, Client may be responsible for all related time, preparation, administrative work, legal consultation, and appearance fees at Consultant’s then-current rate or a separately stated legal-process rate.
Client remains solely responsible for all decisions, actions, communications, agreements, legal positions, parenting choices, financial choices, and outcomes related to Client’s divorce or relationship matter.
Consultant may provide perspective, strategy, preparation, and support, but does not guarantee any outcome, result, settlement, legal position, relational change, or response from another person.
Client understands that divorce, separation, and relational conflict may involve safety risks, coercive control, domestic violence, stalking, harassment, substance use, mental health concerns, financial abuse, or other serious issues.
Consultant may recommend that Client seek assistance from an attorney, therapist, domestic violence advocate, law enforcement, emergency service, or other specialized professional.
Consultant may decline, pause, or terminate services if Consultant believes the matter is outside the scope of this consulting service or if Client would, in the sole discretion of Consultant, be better served by another professional resource. Additional resources or referrals may be provided to Client upon request.
Any frameworks, concepts, worksheets, scripts, templates, written materials, or other resources provided by consultant are for Client’s personal use only.
Client may not copy, reproduce, distribute, publish, teach, sell, or share Consultant’s materials without Consultant’s written permission.
Either party may terminate services at any time.
Consultant may decline, pause, or terminate services if Consultant determines that Client’s needs are outside Consultant’s scope, if Client fails to pay amounts due, if Client violates this Agreement, if Client engages in inappropriate communication, or if continuing the engagement would be clinically, ethically, legally, professionally, or practically inappropriate.
Termination does not entitle Client to a refund for payments already made.
To the fullest extent permitted by law, Consultant’s liability for any claim arising out of or related to this Agreement or the services provided will be limited to the amount Client paid to Consultant for the services at issue.
Consultant will not be liable for indirect, incidental, consequential, special, punitive, emotional-distress, relational, legal, financial, custody-related, or outcome-based damages, to the fullest extent permitted by law.
Client has been advised to have this limitation and this Agreement reviewed by legal counsel before signing.
This Agreement will be governed by the laws of the State of Illinois, without regard to conflict-of-law principles. Illinois law applies irrespective of the fact that Client is, or may become, a resident of a different state.
Any dispute arising from this Agreement will be handled in the courts of Illinois unless otherwise required by law or agreed in writing.
This Agreement represents the entire understanding between Consultant and Client regarding the services described here.
The parties acknowledge that in entering into and executing this Agreement, they have relied solely upon the representations and promises contained in this Agreement.
A waiver of any provision of this Agreement must be in writing and signed by the parties. The waiver by either party of any provision of this Agreement or the failure of a party to insist on the performance of any of the terms or conditions of this Agreement shall not operate as, nor be construed to be a waiver or the relinquishment of any rights granted hereunder and the obligations of the parties under this Agreement shall continue in full force and effect.
This Agreement supersedes all prior agreements or contemporaneous representations and promises, whether written or oral, between the parties with respect to the subject matter contained herein.
Any changes to this Agreement must be in writing and agreed to by both Consultant and Client.
If any part of this Agreement is found to be unenforceable, the remaining provisions will fully remain in effect as permitted by law.
All headings, captions, and section titles used in this Agreement are for ease of reference only and are not to be considered in the construction or interpretation of any provision of this Agreement.
This Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts, each of which shall be deemed original, but all such counterparts together shall constitute one and the same instrument.
The parties acknowledge and agree that this Agreement shall be of no force and effect unless and until each party has signed the following signature page where indicated.
By signing below, Client acknowledges that they have read, understood, and agree to this Agreement. Client further acknowledges that Consultant has advised Client to seek independent legal advice before signing if Client has questions about the legal effect of this Agreement.
Whether you're navigating a difficult relationship, facing the realities of divorce, or working to better understand patterns that feel impossible to break, you don’t have to do it alone.
This is a structured, thoughtful process designed to help you gain clarity, organize your thinking, and move forward with intention.
