Keep Calm and Collaborate On

I recently had the MOST fun being a guest on Sidebar Social, a podcast hosted by Jennifer Grinke and Dana Stewart, two of the best family law attorneys I know in DFW. Check it out!

Below you’ll find an outline of everything we covered in the podcast:

🧠 Katie’s Background

  • Trained as a child and family therapist

  • Witnessed how traditional divorce harms kids

  • Transitioned to collaborative law in 2018

  • Now works almost exclusively in this field

    🚪 Elevator Pitch: Explaining Collaborative Divorce

  • Traditional divorce: adversarial attorneys

  • Collaborative: team-based, whole-family focus

  • Includes attorneys, MHP, financial neutral

  • Aims for long-term, durable solutions

🧩 How Collaborative Meetings Work

  • Clients referred to MHP after attorneys are hired

  • MHP meets with each party individually first

  • First joint meeting: identify goals (e.g., stability, financial needs)

  • Team uses these goals to guide solutions

  • Collaborative decisions are intentional and not rushed

💬 Coaching & Communication Benefits

  • MHP helps with conflict resolution and emotional regulation

  • Attorneys trained in collaborative are essential

  • MHP supports communication and emotional needs of the family

❓FAQs Answered

1. How is this different from mediation?

  • Collaborative uses a full team (MHP, financial, legal)

  • Ongoing coaching between sessions

  • Multiple meetings with structured agendas

  • More support and skill-building for co-parenting

2. Is collaborative more expensive?

  • Not necessarily

  • Avoids court prep, discovery, and hearings

  • Reduces emotional cost

3. How long does it take?

  • Typically 6 months

  • 4–7 meetings spaced 2–3 weeks apart

  • Work continues between meetings

4. What happens if someone opts out?

  • Entire process ends

  • Team disbands, and nothing carries over to court

  • This structure incentivizes transparency and resolution

🔮 The Future of Collaborative Law

  • Growing adoption across states

  • Needs more education for attorneys and judges

  • Misconceptions still exist (e.g., it’s "woo-woo")

  • Podcasts and public education are helping

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Parent Coordination and Parent Facilitation in Texas