Divorce is one of the most traumatic and stressful life transitions that any individual or family may encounter. Though not the outcome anyone envisions when they marry, it is the ultimate reality for half of all marriages. We have choices about how we handle this process to either escalate the trauma and wounds or create opportunities for healing and growth. The collaborative approach to divorce seems to offer the greatest opportunity to minimize further pain and conflict, while empowering couples to use their strengths, maximize choices, and set the stage for a cooperative co-parenting partnership.

The key difference between Collaborative Practice and the conventional adversarial model is the pledge to reach an agreement without going to court. In this context a group of collaboratively trained professionals that includes lawyers, mental health coaches, and financial neutrals work as a team to facilitate the development of this agreement by the couple. The goal is to develop effective relationships that work to respectfully solve problems for the good of the entire family. More information about the collaborative law approach to divorce can be found at the website of the International Academy of Collaborative Professionals, at: www.collaborativepractice.com.

As your divorce coach, I will be there to provide you with critical support during this difficult and demanding time. I will guard against the process becoming adversarial, as divorce often does. We will reduce the emotional intensity of the divorce by separating the legal and practical issues from the emotional issues that could not be resolved in your marriage. If there are children, I will help you develop the skills you will need to effectively co-parent during the separation and following the divorce. We will ensure that the needs of the children are treated as a priority. Depending on the needs of your family, we will choose to use either one coach for each of you or I will work with you as a couple. Either way, I will ensure that you have a voice, with both parties learning techniques for listening and speaking that will move the process forward.

Collaborative Practice: Resolving Disputes Respectively – an electronic brochure that explains the collaborative divorce process. Published by The International Academy of Collaborative Professionals.