From the Book: Divorce Amicably
This is a chapter summary from Chapter 6 of Divorce Amicably, a guide to navigating separation with dignity and cooperation.
Chapter 13 Author: Neena Saxena
Neena Saxena is a dedicated, honest, and empathetic attorney who focuses on all issues related to families including divorce, child custody, child support, paternity, legitimation, alimony, property division, adoption, modifications and contempt issues. Neena is passionate about her clients and the law and experienced to handle all family law matters.
Neena grew up in Johns Creek and received her Bachelor of Science in Management with a Certificate in Operations Management from Georgia Institute of Technology. She obtained her law degree from Florida State University, College of Law and is a trained mediator.
Chapter 13: Cultural Diversity in Divorce Summary
When divorce intersects with cultural and religious diversity, the stakes become exponentially higher—not just for the divorcing couple, but for children whose very identity hangs in the balance. In this vital chapter, attorney Neena Saxena reveals a sobering reality: with 28 states having no Black justices and only 17% of state high court justices representing minority communities, diverse families cannot count on the court system to understand or protect their cultural and religious values. She exposes how traditional divorce proceedings often overlook crucial elements like non-Christian holidays, dietary practices, language preservation, and cultural celebrations that define a family's identity.
Saxena provides a roadmap for diverse couples to proactively safeguard their heritage through strategic legal tools and the Amicable Divorce Process. She demonstrates how collaborative approaches allow families to educate their legal teams about cultural nuances that courts might ignore or misunderstand, from religious dietary restrictions to heritage language education. Most importantly, this chapter shows how to create legally enforceable agreements that preserve both parents' cultural contributions to their children's upbringing, ensuring that divorce doesn't mean the erasure of essential family traditions and values.
Key Takeaways from Chapter 13
Who Should Read This Chapter
This chapter is absolutely essential for any divorcing couple where culture, religion, or ethnicity plays a meaningful role in family life—whether you're an interfaith couple, immigrants preserving homeland traditions, or parents from different racial backgrounds raising multicultural children. It's equally crucial for those whose religious practices don't align with mainstream Christianity or whose cultural celebrations fall outside typical American holidays.
If you're concerned about your children losing half their heritage in divorce, worried that a judge won't understand why certain dietary laws or religious education matter, or fear that your ex-spouse might erase your cultural contributions to your children's lives, Saxena provides the strategies you desperately need. This chapter speaks directly to families who know that identity encompasses more than just custody schedules—it includes the languages children speak, the holidays they celebrate, the foods they eat, and the communities they belong to.
Get your copy of "Divorce Amicably" today and ensure your family's cultural and religious heritage survives and thrives beyond divorce—because your children deserve to inherit their complete identity, not just the parts a court system understands.
Want to read the full Chapter?
Featuring insights from 40 experienced financial, legal, and mental health professionals across 80 essential topics,