Collaborative Divorce
Collaborative divorce is an emerging process option for divorcing couples in which both spouses and their attorneys agree to keep contested matters out of court and commit to a transparent process using interest-based negotiation to settle the divorce. Collaborative practice represents a constructive option to a process that is frequently played out in courtrooms, or between adversarial legal teams.
The collaborative process - with its focus on solutions and the future, its grounding in interest-based negotiation, and its commitment to resolving differences using the collaborative method - provides a humane and respectful environment for that transition to occur. When children are involved, collaborative divorce provides the family a way to minimize the damage to its structure, while laying the foundation for a healthy future.
Collaborative divorce frequently utilizes a team approach, in which neutral financial and mental health professionals are engaged to help gather data, contain emotions, and generally streamline the process. I became interested in collaborative divorce several years ago, and was the first mental health professional in Austin to complete the interdisciplinary training. As a Neutral Collaborative Process Facilitator, I assist divorcing couples, their attorneys, and the collaborative team in reaching resolution as efficiently and effectively as possible. I assist the couple as they establish new communication patterns appropriate to their transitioning relationship, and help them identify productive ways of resolving conflict. I work with the team to enhance its effectiveness, and coach team members and the divorcing couple on constructive communication and interest and option generation. In my collaborative work, I often work with families with children as they devise a possession schedule that best meets the developmental needs of the children, as well as the family's goals and interests.
I am involved with the collaborative community at both the local and state level. I serve on the Collaborative Law Institute of Texas (CLI-Tx) board, and have been on the faculty of the CLI-Tx annual conference for four years. For more information on collaborative divorce, visit the CLI-Tx website: www.collablawtexas.com.
