Program Overview

Collaborative Family Law Affiliates are family and divorce professionals, not simply divorce lawyers and mediators. We are not a law firm. We are a multi-disciplinary referral network of independent professionals trained to provide alternatives to traditional litigation.

Collaborative Family Law Affiliates-What We Do  

The Collaborative Family Law Affiliates provide the services of attorneys, financial advisors, and co-parenting and mental health professionals. Our primary goals are to:

• Provide a no-court solution to divorce.
• Handle the legal aspects of divorce with collaboratively trained lawyers.
• Avoid court delays, stonewalling, and expensive battles between experts.
• Provide co-parenting support.
• Share tax, college funding and other financial planning advice between parties.
• Help parties understand short-term and long-term implications of decisions regarding support and equitable distribution.

Description of the Collaborative Process-How It Works

Whether you learn about the collaborative process from your financial advisor, during an initial consultation with an attorney, or through this website, each party will ultimately have to choose their own attorney to be their special legal advisor. 

The first meeting with the attorneys results in the execution of a Collaborative Agreement which sets forth the responsibilities of everyone on the collaborative team.    After explaining the rules for the collaborative process which require full disclosure, transparent transactions and stabilizing of support and co-parenting arrangements, the lawyers discuss with the parties the disclosure that will be required to develop the economic analysis for the divorce settlement.  If there are specific issues relating to the children, the attorneys may refer the parties to a co-parenting specialist to reduce the cost (meeting with one professional as opposed to two is less expensive and may have insurance coverage) and provide a child friendly resolution of co-parenting issues. 

If the case calls for long term financial planning for either or both of the parties as well as evaluations, tax computations, etc., the parties may, at that time, be referred to a neutral financial person who can do the financial workup.  Usually the neutral financial person is utilized if retirement planning is necessary or the marital estate is particularly large and complex. Once again, the use of a neutral third party is cheaper than dueling experts.   The neutral third party will take instructions from both sides as to the workup on the financial issues so that there is transparency and creativity in problem solving is fostered.

Subsequent four way meetings or correspondence between the attorneys continues to resolve interim issues and stabilize the decision making with respect to the children.  Thereafter, the parties start to formulate plans for a property settlement agreement.  By the end of the case, the parties are fully informed and well advised by their separate, independent attorneys and financial advisors and co-parenting coaches, if needed.   They may have met with them privately and have had their questions answered.  Finally, the parties will usually have a closing four way meeting at which their property settlement agreement will be executed and any remaining questions will be answered.

Contact  Collaborative Family Law Affiliates to learn about your alternatives to the traditional divorce process. Reach us at info@collaborativefamilylaw.com or call the telephone number shown below.

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