collaborative divorce

Collaborative Divorce is a structured, out-of-court process where spouses, each represented by Collaborative divorce attorneys, work together to make decisions and reach a balanced settlement that meets the needs of the entire family.

Collaborative Divorce will allow you to:

Achieve Comprehensive Settlement

Collaborative Divorce offers couples a comprehensive legal, emotional and financial process designed to support clients in every aspect of their divorce without going to court.

Focus on What Matters

In Collaborative Divorce, your attorney will guide you from beginning to end of the divorce process. We will work together with your spouse and his or her attorney without the pressure of court. You will both have the opportunity to clarify and focus on what is most important to you, and your family, and find ways of achieving your goals.

Targeted Support

In Collaborative Divorce we work as part of a team with other divorce professionals. In addition to attorneys, depending on the family’s needs, you will have the support of neutral experts, such as a financial neutral, divorce coach, and a child specialist, to help with issues like cash flow, division of assets, retirement security, communication between you and your spouse, and how to bring the concerns and needs of the children into the process.


Collaborative Divorce clients and their attorneys typically work with the following divorce professionals:

Financial Professionals can help:

  • Gather financial information and develop the economic picture
  • Assist in evaluating marital assets
  • Develop different financial scenarios for you to evaluate
  • Clarify the tax consequences of alternate solutions
  • Examine the long term impact, including retirement concerns, of alternate solutions

Divorce Coaches can help:

  • Develop and reinforce effective communication skills
  • Work with the emotional dynamic to allow for different ways of talking to and hearing each other
  • Develop effective co-parenting skills

Child Specialists can help:

  • Provide guidance about how to talk to your children about separation and divorce
  • Bring the concerns and needs of your children into the process
  • Create a parenting plan that meets your family’s needs
  • Clarify differing parenting values and how to work together for the benefit of the children


Logistics

You, your spouse, your individual attorneys, and supporting professionals, will work in structured two hour meetings to discuss the parenting plan; define what is most important for you, your spouse and your family in moving forward; gather and analyze the financial information; develop the economic picture so that the division of assets and liabilities and the cash flow needs can be addressed; and create and assemble options to reach a final settlement of all issues. The process concludes with a settlement or separation agreement that formalizes the decisions you have made and that is filed with your uncontested divorce papers.

Learn more about:

Divorce Mediation

“I want you to know that the divorce, as painful as it was, has worked out beautifully. Our comprehensive agreement has ensured that all key issues were resolved before we divorced - as it should be - and [ex-husband] and I get along great and keep our son at the forefront of our lives. We have a very amicable relationship, and [ex-husband] even comes over for Passover and Thanksgiving, and sometimes for dinner. We are working together to deal with [son's] teenage years, which is also as it should be. I am so very happy to be divorced, and our relationship has improved considerably! So, thanks again to you and the team!”.
-R. F.