Divorce can cause significant financial, emotional, and relational distress for divorcing partners and their families. Collaborative Divorce is an approach that seeks to support divorcing couples and their families, educate them about options, equip them with the knowledge and skills to make sound decisions, and assist them in successfully navigating through all of the facets of their divorce transition.
In contrast to litigation, Collaborative Divorce focuses from the start on settling the issues involved in divorce without resort to litigation. The divorcing spouses commit at the outset not to litigate, but rather to engage in good faith negotiations aimed at resolving all of their issues. Collaborative Divorce seeks to provide a healthy, safe, respectful, and transparent environment in which divorcing spouses can make decisions that fit their particular circumstances and are in their mutual best interest and that of their children. This includes the resolution of issues involving the divorce itself, child custody and support, co-parenting, spousal support, the division of marital property, transition planning and budgeting, and other matters.
The Collaborative Divorce process provides a team, consisting of collaboratively trained lawyers, coaches, a child specialist, and a financial specialist, who assist the divorcing couple in reaching mutually acceptable outcomes for themselves and their families.