Divorce is a confusing and uncertain time. Life
feels chaotic. Will you ever recover from your hurt, anger and
fear? How are your children going to manage? Children of
divorce are vulnerable. You want the best for your
children. How will divorce affect your financial future, your
day-to-day life, your children's education, your retirement? What
will happen with your home? How are you going to get through your
divorce when there is so much stress, confusion and pain?
The choices you make now will impact you and your family for many
years. Collaborative divorce can help.
Collaborative divorce is a process where you select a
team of professionals who help you through your divorce. Your
team will help you create a plan for your children, and answer your
financial and legal questions. Your collaborative divorce team
consists of two collaborative lawyers, and may also include two divorce
coaches, a neutral financial specialist and a child specialist.
Each of you selects your own collaborative lawyer and divorce
coach. Together you may select a neutral financial specialist and
a child specialist.
Your collaborative divorce team has specialized
training to help you:
- Learn better ways to communicate
- Answer questions you have about divorce
- Deal with your emotions
- Make informed decisions for the future
- Address your parenting and time sharing concerns
- Create a parenting plan
- Develop a financial plan
- Reach agreements.
In a series of meetings with different members of your collaborative
divorce team, you can settle your divorce without going to court.
Your collaborative lawyer will give you legal advice about your rights
and obligations and will be on your side as you go through your
divorce. Your collaborative lawyer is trained to work with you as
you find solutions that will work for you and your family.
Your divorce coach will help you improve your communication and
listening skills, develop problem-solving skills, manage your feelings,
create and follow through on your parenting goals and create a
parenting plan suitable for you and your children.
Your child specialist will provide a safe place for your children to be
heard, will listen to your children and voice their needs and concerns,
help you understand what is happening to your children, and provide you
with information that you need to make important parenting decisions.
Your neutral financial specialist will help each of you understand
your current financial situation, collect and organize the financial
information you need, understand your financial choices and the impact
of your financial decisions for now and the future.
Collaborative divorce is one of a number of choices that you have for
how you will go through your divorce. See
"did you know"
for more information.
Click here to view our Family Law Team.
