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.