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PAPERCITY PROMOTION D ivorce is still divorce. It's personal, emotional, and often complicated. But the way people approach it is changing, and that shift is most noticeable among the younger crowd, millennials and Gen Z. They're not coming in with the same expectations their parents had. And they're definitely not interested in divorcing the same way that previous generations did. "Today, my millennial and Gen Z clients are thinking about divorce very differently right from the start," says Alyssa S. Hernandez, an attorney with Calabrese Budner. "They're asking how to move through the process in a way that makes sense for their child, their mental and emotional health, and their financial well-being now and after it's over." That change in perspective shapes everything from how cases begin to how they resolve. More Strategy Less Drama How Gen Z and Millennials Are Reshaping Divorce A lot of my younger clients aren't asking how to 'win' every issue. They're asking what actually gets them to a resolution. — Alyssa Hernandez They want clarity, not confusion Younger clients want to understand the process upfront to make a well-rounded, informed decision on strategy. "How long is this going to take? What is this going to cost? What are my options if we can't reach an agreement right away? What would the judge do?" Hernandez says. "Those are the questions we hear right away." Understandably, they want those answers to be honest. "Almost all of my millennial and Gen Z clients appreciate the sometimes necessary harsh truths about the divorce process," she says. Having grown up with instant access to information, they expect the same level of responsiveness. "With Google, AI, and social media, they're used to being informed about anything," Hernandez says. For law firms, that means communication has to be tighter, and explanations have to be in-depth. Younger clients will fact-check you on what they've already researched, and they want to know the why — and rightfully so. Law firms need to make sure they are setting the expectations about communication and responsiveness early on with younger clients. "It's really important to the younger generations that they hear from their lawyer often, even if it's just a check in." Hernandez says. Fighting isn't their goal Another noticeable shift: Younger clients have less interest in drawn-out conflict. That doesn't mean they avoid difficult issues. They don't. But they're more intentional about how they approach them. "A lot of my younger clients aren't asking how to 'win' every issue," Hernandez says. "They're asking what actually gets them to a resolution." For some, that means staying out of court as much as possible. For others, it means being strategic about when to take a firm position and when to let something go. There's a growing understanding that not every disagreement is worth the cost, financially or emotionally. "The goal is not to avoid conflict entirely," Hernandez says. "It's to use it when it's necessary and not to create more of it than needed. I always tell my clients, 'There's a price to peace,' and my younger clients get what I mean straight away." Technology is reshaping the process — for better and worse If there's one area where the generational shift is most obvious, it's technology. Younger clients walk in with more information 76