Mid Jersey Collaborative Law Alliance Annual Retreat
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The MJCLA had a 1 ½ day retreat at Crystal Springs Resort in Hamburg NJ on March 4-5. We had Loretta “Lori” Gephart, MA do... Read More
What is Collaborative Divorce?
Learn more about the collaborative process and how it reduces conflict saves money and protects the dignity of the family.
FAQs About Collaborative Divorce
Learn more about collaborative law and the most commonly asked questions.
Find a Collaborative Professional
Do you need to find a collaboratively trained attorney, certified financial professional or other advisor? Get started here to find a collaborative practitioner near you!
Who We Are
The New Jersey Council of Collaborative Practice Groups (NJCCPG) supports excellence among the community of collaborative divorce professionals, and promotes and expands the use of quality Collaborative Practice throughout New Jersey.
The Council serves as a unified voice and central resource for education, training, networking and development of standards of practice as well as expanding public and professional awareness.
Our Mission and EventsNJ Practice Groups
- Association for the Advancement of Collaborative Practice (Website Under Construction)
- Collaborative Divorce Association of North Jersey
- Collaborative Divorce Professionals
- Mid-Jersey Collaborative Law Alliance
- Family Focused Divorce
- New Jersey Collaborative Law Group
- South Jersey Collaborative Divorce Professionals
Using Collaborative Divorce Practices to Achieve Resolution
Marriages that End in Divorce Need Not End in a Courtroom
Divorces are as varied and complex as the individuals involved; temperaments, family and financial obligations, and the disposition of assets can combine to create overwhelming stress, fear and anxiety. Too often, the trauma created in certain divorces is accepted as the inevitable “norm” for ending a marriage.
It does not have to be this way.
Non-adversarial in nature, the goal of collaborative law is to minimize the conflict that is prevalent in so many traditional divorces. Instead of conflict, the collaboratively trained interdisciplinary team uses cooperation and communication to achieve a mutually satisfactory agreement. Instead of competing attorneys controlling the process, the divorcing couple determines both the process the professionals, and the outcome. Entry into the collaborative law process can be accomplished through either the mental health professionals, financial advisors or the attorneys. Because collaborative law places such a heavy emphasis on addressing the emotional needs of the children, mental health practitioners that specialize in counseling children play a particularly important role in this approach.
Recent Articles
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Divorce Is Hard, Any Way You Spell It
Collaborative divorce has been referred to as a kinder and gentler way to untie the knot. And that is true. Collaborative practice offers divorcing couples... Read More
What Happens In A Collaborative Divorce
There are many reasons to consider collaborative law over traditional divorce. When both spouses are committed to the process, the advantages are many and the... Read More
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Make sound decisions. Use a collaborative process with supportive professionals focused on a stable outcome.
Jeffrey Urbach, CPA presenting a seminar on the new tax laws and the impact for divorce at the New Jersey Association of Professional Mediators Annual Civil/Divorce Advanced Mediation Seminar.
How Collaborative Divorce Protects Children from Conflict
Any time couples find themselves facing divorce, one of the first concerns they have is how it will effect the children. Worries about the negative impact of divorce and children has probably kept more unhappy couples together than anything else. Yet, some would assert that staying together for the children may not always be the best option.
There have been a number of studies that have indicated that the majority of children are able to adjust after divorce and go on to lead happy, well-adjusted lives. In fact, the prevailing opinion is that divorce itself isn’t nearly as damaging to a child as the manner in which parents conduct themselves during the divorce process. It is often the conflict between parents that is the most emotionally destructive for children.
Reduces Conflict
In our culture the word divorce has almost become synonymous with conflict. Many have simply come to expect divorce to be an all out, take-no-prisoners, fight-it-out-in-court situation. When you combine this cultural expectation with the uncertainty and stress of ending a marriage, and then put it into the traditional court system, you have the perfect recipe for an adversarial situation. The majority of parents would do anything to spare their children the pain of divorce conflict, but something as emotionally charged as a divorce can quickly get out of control within the confines of the conventional litigated divorce process, with damaging effects on the children. It is often the uncertainty of how the other party is posturing their case, what allegations they will make, and the need to protect one’s interest that drives so much of the contentiousness.
This is where collaborative divorce can make a difference. Collaborative divorce is a voluntary alternative dispute resolution process that removes the threat associated with the uncertainties of litigation. It creates an environment of commitment, cooperation, open and honest communication and mutual respect. Collaborative divorce shifts the focus from what went wrong and who is to blame, to how can we create solutions and resolve our differences in a way that allows everyone to move forward with their lives.
Makes the Children A Priority
In collaborative divorce, not only does the couple commit to divorcing with dignity and in a respectful manner, but they also make a commitment to making the children’s best interests a priority. This eliminates the need to use the children as pawns or to think about parenting time as a negotiating strategy. With the help of the collaborative professionals, including a divorce coach and/or child specialist, the team helps the couple minimize conflict, which in turn reduces the harmful effects on the children, finding ways to work together to create parenting agreements that will help the children thrive in their new restructured family.
Anyone who is considering divorce and concerned about how it might affect the children should consider contacting a collaborative divorce professional for more information about the process and to find out whether it might be an option for them.
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