Collaborative Divorce Attorneys

Though Collaborative Practice seeks to avoid going to court, legal agreements are being crafted.  Each party has a personal attorney with whom they will meet separately and confidentially to discuss rights and obligations.  The attorneys advise on relevant legal matters from child custody and support to financial settlements including property distribution.  Attorneys  participate in four-way meetings with the parties and are trained to keep the meetings safe, constructive and a comfortable place for parties to create acceptable solutions to the challenges they are facing.  The Family Law Attorney will prepare all legal documents that must be filed with the court and incorporate all client agreements into the final settlement.

Divorce Coaches

The mental health professionals on the Collaborative team assist as coaches and child specialists.  Their role is distinct from therapy, and this relationship is focused on achieving the immediate goal of agreement rather than determining the core causes of behavior.  The coaches help their clients learn self-management skills, including anger and stress management, and the communication skills so vital to the collaborative process.

The Divorce Coach meets with clients individually to identify and prioritize the concerns of each person, offering support and coaching while helping them develop confidence in their own abilities.  Clients and coaches meet in four-way sessions to practice the skills they have learned in individual sessions, transforming ineffective communication into effective negotiation.  One of the primary goals of the coach is to help parents develop an effective co-parenting relationship evolving from their mutual efforts.  Coaches also provide a conflict resolution model that each party can use to continue development of their co-parenting relationship into the future.

Financial Specialists

Since the divorce settlement will greatly affect the financial well-being of all parties for many years to come, it is critical that financial decisions be soundly structured.  The guidance of a Financial Specialist will help protect the interests of your changing family by reviewing all assets and income and assisting in developing viable financial options in order to support two households on the same income that previously supported one.  The Financial Specialist is trained to consider in detail the economic future of your family and help you reach creative solutions using the available resources.  This professional will provide ongoing, practical guidance for planning and budgeting throughout the process.  Evaluating the choices outlined by the Financial Specialist will allow the clients and attorneys to construct a comprehensive plan for the next stage of your family’s life.

Child Specialists

The Child Specialist is essential to the process as the only team member who functions as a child advocate while working with the couple to hone their co-parenting skills..  Unlike the court-appointed evaluator whose role is restricted to evaluation and recommendation, the specialist is able to assess and support the child in expressing his or her feelings and reactions to the divorce and family issues while using that information to help the parents understand their child.  The Child Specialist’s role is one of support and education.  It is the often the Child Specialist who challenges the parents to become more aware and sensitive to the needs of their children because this is the professional who has only the child’s best interests in mind.  In five-way meetings with coaches, the child specialist presents information that helps parents create a parenting plan that actually takes the needs and perspectives of the child consideration.