Everyone reacts differently to divorce. Most people, however, go through similar stages, much like grief. Just like after the death of a loved one, it is common to move back and forth between the stages. The tough part for the divorce mediator is that client-couples are rarely in the same stage at the same time. 
When one party is ready to “get down to business”, while the other party is an emotional mess, it is the mediators job to slow the “ready” party down and allow the other party to catch up a little bit. It is important for both the husband and the wife to be able to keep up with the facts, information, proposals, etc., and to make sure that they are not too emotionally unstable to negotiate effectively.
Cathy Meyer, About.com Divorce News Editor, lists 6 emotional stages of divorce:
• Denial
• Shock
• Rollercoaster
• Bargaining
• Letting go
• Acceptance
For more detail about each stage please visit her article http://divorcesupport.about.com/od/copingandemotialissue/f/stagesofgreif.htm
Posted by Graine Mediation 
Fairfax VA Divorce Mediator 