How does Collaborative Divorce get started?
A question that I'm often asked is how does the divorce process get started?
Here is an example of how it typically goes:
One or both spouses begin to interview attorneys regarding the divorce process and what their options are. Typically, those attorneys, if they are Collaboratively trained, will walk you through the option of a Collaborative divorce. The client then decides that Collaborative is an option they'd like to explore, something they want to talk to their spouse about.
The potential Collaborative client discusses this Collaborative option with their spouse. They decide together that they would like to move forward with Collaborative. The spouse then receives a list of Collaborative divorce attorneys in the area that can be of assistance.
The spouse reaches out to a few Collaborative attorneys, they interview one or two of them, they select one, and then both spouses then retain their collaborative divorce attorneys.
The hired Collaborative divorce attorneys will then work together to recommend a collaborative divorce coach, and put the spouses in touch with the divorce coach.
The spouses have a quick consultation with the proposed divorce coach and decide if they feel comfortable with that person.
When they are ready to move forward, the collaborative divorce coach meets with each of the spouses one on one in order to go through the history of the marriage, typical decision making dynamics, questions about concerns and goals that the spouses each have for getting through the divorce. What kind of a relationship you want to have 10 years down the road, friendly or none?
The professional team works together to build out a customized Collaborative divorce plan for the specific family.
