How does Collaborative Practice Actually Work?

Many couples would agree that settling a marital dispute out-of-court is preferable to undergoing a time consuming and costly in-court process.

Extensive legal affairs often become adversarial and cause all parties involved a great deal of distress.

But what is collaborative divorce? How does collaborative family law work?

In the collaborative family law process, both parties are committed to settling their divorce or separation without allowing a judge or arbitrator to decide their fate.

Each party hires their own collaboratively trained lawyer to remain at their side throughout the process. Then, the spouses decide if they want to involve any other collaborative experts in the process, such as coaches, child experts, or financial specialists.

After the parties decide on who they want to include in the process, both sides sign a Participation Agreement that states they will act in good faith, disclose all relevant information, put their children's needs before their own, and seek mutually acceptable solutions throughout the process.

Through a series of face-to-face meetings, the couple will undergo a process of negotiations where both sides exchange information and consider a variety of possible resolutions.

This series of meetings is immensely important for facilitating cohesion and mutual problem solving throughout the collaborative family law process.

By creating a comfortable environment for couples to share their thoughts and concerns, the collaborative family law process allows spouses to reach a final divorce agreement that satisfies both parties and provides an acceptable solution for any children involved.