Collaborative divorce is a legal process enabling couples who have decided to separate, or end their marriage, to work with their collaborative professionals including collaboratively trained lawyers, family consultants and financial professionals in order to avoid the uncertain outcome of court and to achieve a settlement that best meets the specific needs of both parties and their children without the underlying threat and cost of litigation.

 

Family consultants and financial advisers are neutral and therefore bring objective and unbiased input to the meetings.  All parties meet around a table so that open discussions can take place and both clients’ needs and views are listened to and respected.

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The voluntary process is initiated when the couple signs a participation agreement binding each other to the process and disqualifying their respective lawyer's right to represent either one in any future family-related litigation.

 

Including a family consultant in these meetings ensures that both parties are heard, listened to, understood and feel safe. If emotions are running high between the parties a family consultant with help to defuse the situation. If there is a concern that one party may try to control the topics of the meeting then a family consultant will ensure that the meeting is conducted fairly

 

Collaborative law processes also have the added benefit of being more cost efficient as the necessary tasks in the collaborative model are assigned to the specialist professionals without duplication, so saving costs.