Collaborative Divorce Team? What in the World Is That?

Clients often ask me to explain what a Collaborative Divorce Team is.  People aren’t used to thinking of the divorce process as including a “team” of any kind, because many folks expect divorce to be a battle…where people work against each other instead of with each other.  Don’t get me wrong: Collaborative Divorces still involve two people (the spouses, or “clients” as we call them in Collaborative Divorce) who have opposing interests.

But, instead of leaving the clients to fight each other in an effort to get a bigger piece of the pie, the Collaborative Divorce Team works together to find creative ways to meet as many of *both clients’* needs as possible and – wherever we can – expand the pie itself.

The Collaborative Divorce Team consists of six people: the two clients, each client’s Collaborative Divorce attorney, a Collaborative Financial Professional (“FP”), and a Collaborative Divorce Facilitator (“CDF”).  While the attorneys are Collaboratively trained and are committed to the Collaborative process, they are still advocates and represent their respective client’s best interests.  The FP and CDF, though, are neutral.  They don’t advocate for either client, and they work instead to help both clients overcome obstacles, generate ideas, and reach agreements.

Please stay tuned for my next post, which will address more in-dept each Collaborative Professional’s individual role.