Collaborative Divorce is a new approach to divorce, bringing the best that legal, personal and financial wisdom have to offer in a humane, dignified fashion. The goal is to minimize the negative, emotional and economic consequences of divorce.

How It Works…

Each party retains a collaboratively trained attorney. The parties and the attorneys pledge not to go to Court and all participants agree to work together respectfully, honestly and in good faith. Neutral, collaboratively trained financial and mental health professionals are brought in as needed to assist in resolving financial, custody and other related issues.

The attorneys work with the parties to achieve a satisfactory settlement in an efficient, cooperative manner. The financial professionals are brought into the collaborative divorce process to assist with family financial issues. The mental health professionals assist the parties and their children during the divorce transition, maintaining the children’s voice and helping the family assess the best needs of their children. Advisors assist the collaborative team as needed with various areas of expertise. Family and finances issues can be challenging during the divorce process, and experts who are trained to resolve these issues are crucial to the collaborative process.

The goal of the collaborative divorce process is to resolve all issues relating to the separation and divorce in a non-adversarial manner, without going to court. The process reduces conflict and maintains trust which increases the likelihood that parents can cooperate in the parenting of their children and reach solutions which promote their children’s best interests. Other than the final settlement and the uncontested final divorce hearing, there are no court papers to be prepared and no court hearings. This results in a process that is generally less costly and time consuming than litigation and provides added value and hope for a positive future for the family.