An Agreement to Collaborate

The key difference between Collaborative Practice and conventional divorce is the written agreement to reach resolution without going to court. You and your spouse keep control of the decisions yourselves, rather than giving it up to a judge. In order to accomplish this, all of the parties consent in writing to be part of a respectful process that leads to an out-of-court settlement. With Collaborative Practice, the goal is to develop effective relationships, solve problems jointly and prevent a court battle.

Open Communication

Even under the best of circumstances, communication can be strained as a relationship is ending. Yet keeping the lines of communication open is essential for reaching an agreement. Collaborative Practice provides for face-to-face meetings with you, your spouse, your respective lawyers and other professionals as needed. These sessions are intended to produce an honest exchange of information and expression of needs and expectations. When the issues are openly discussed, problem-solving can be direct and solution oriented.

An Agreement Everyone Can Live With

If you’ve reached a decision about divorce, you may be reassured to know that Collaborative Practice focuses on attaining resolution. The collaborative model is designed to protect the interests of your children and help you and your spouse move forward. Throughout, the collaborative process emphasizes cooperating to find solutions. Instead of being an endless airing of grievances, Collaborative Practice encourages spouses to reach a workable settlement by building on areas of mutual agreement.

Support When You Need It The Most

Divorce usually involves many considerations, from concern for children to financial questions to property matters. For that reason, Collaborative Practice offers you a supportive approach. You and your lawyer work as a team. Other professionals, including divorce coaches, child specialists, financial consultants and vocational/career consultants can become part of your team, helping you find constructive solutions to deal with divorce’s wide-ranging issues and establish goals for the future.

A Focus On The Future

Divorce ends a marriage but need not sever family ties or relationships. Especially when children are involved, lifelong responsibilities remain. By preserving respect and encouraging cooperation, Collaborative Practice helps parents and children keep family bonds while embracing new lives. Divorce will always remain a significant life event. In the face of it, Collaborative Practice can lead you and your family to a compassionate ending and a healthy new beginning.

To find lawyers and other professionals trained in Collaborative Practice in your area, click here.

Our Collaborative Professionals

Going through divorce can make you feel isolated and alone, unsure of where to turn for support and advice. Collaborative Practice offers you skilled and compassionate professionals, each expert in their own field, to help you manage the many aspects of divorce—the legal issues, the emotional turmoil, the concerns for children and the financial and property questions. With such support, you'll feel more in control of the divorce process itself and better equipped to begin a new life afterwards.

The roles of collaborative professionals are described below. All members of the Collaborative Family Law Professionals of Marin are trained in Collaborative Practice, so you can choose our collaborative professionals with confidence.

Legal Counsel

Though Collaborative Practice seeks to avoid going to court, the settlement is still a legal and binding agreement. Therefore, it is essential that a lawyer be involved to advise you on all matters of law, from child custody and support to spousal support agreements to financial settlements and property distribution. Collaborative lawyers have made a commitment to the unique practice of the collaborative model and are there to assist you in the divorce process.

Divorce Coach

Divorce is a major life transition; while it marks the end of one part of your life, it is also the beginning of another. A divorce coach helps you manage the pain and strain of changing relationships, while focusing on goals for the present and the future. Working with you to make the most of your strengths, your divorce coach assists you in being at your best during the divorce process, then taking positive steps to a new life.

Financial Consultant

The divorce settlement will in part determine your financial well-being for many years to come. It is critical that it be soundly structured, especially if your spouse assumed more responsibility for your family’s finances. The guidance of a financial consultant can help protect your interests. Reviewing all assets and incomes, the financial consultant will assist you in developing viable financial options for your future. Evaluating the choices, you and your lawyer can then construct a comprehensive plan for the next stage of your life.

Child Specialist

Children may suffer most from divorce, and be least able to understand or express their feelings. Their world is being turned upside down in ways that they cannot begin to comprehend. Communication with parents may be difficult, if not impossible. A goal of Collaborative Practice is to assure that children are a priority, not a casualty. The child specialist, an individual skilled in understanding children, will meet with your children privately, assisting them in expressing their feelings and concerns about the divorce. Encouraging children to think creatively about the future, the child specialist then communicates the children’s feelings, concerns and hopes to you and to the team to consider when planning for the children’s lives.

Vocational/Career Consultant

The guidance of a vocational consultant will assist you in planning and developing a successful career plan. The vocational consultant will explore job options, earning capacity, your transferable employment skills, and the need for further education or training. You will be provided with a template of the steps necessary to enter or re-enter the job market. The plan will be designed with the intention of empowering you and establishing a career path consistent with appropriate earnings, your interests, skills and job opportunities.