Collaborative Practice is an alternative to the usual divorce. Collaborative Practice offers a team of professionals to help manage the divorce and separation process, each expert in their own field, the legal issues, the emotional upheaval, the financial and money worries and the concerns for the children.

Self-respect and mutual respect are fundamentals of the collaborative way of divorce and separation. When respect is given and received, discussions are more likely to be more productive and agreement more easily reached.

Collaborative Practice is a reasonable approach to divorce based on three principles:

• A pledge not to go to court
• An honest exchange of information from both spouses
• A solution that takes into account the highest priorities of both spouses and their children.

A team consists of:

A Collaborative Lawyer

Divorce and separation are legal issues and so a lawyer is essential. A collaborative lawyer advises on all matters of law that you will need to attend to while going through the divorce and separation process.

A Collaborative Divorce Coach

A collaborative divorce coach helps you manage the pain and strain of changing relationships, while focusing on goals for the present and the future. Working with you to make the most of your strengths, your collaborative divorce coach assists you in being at your best during the divorce process.

A Collaborative Financial Consultant

The divorce settlement will in part determine your financial well-being for many years to come. It is critical that it be soundly structured. Reviewing all assets and income, the financial consultant will assist you in developing viable financial options for your future. Evaluating the choices, you and your lawyer can then construct a comprehensive plan for the next stage of your life.

A Collaborative Child Specialist

Children may suffer most from divorce, and be least able to understand or express their feelings. Communication with parents may be difficult, if not impossible. A goal of Collaborative Practice is to assure that children are a priority, not a casualty. The child specialist, an individual skilled in understanding children, will meet with your children privately, assisting them in expressing their feelings and concerns about the divorce. The child specialist then communicates their feelings, concerns and hopes to the team to consider when planning for the children’s lives.

Nicola is a member of the Northern Sydney Collaborative Practitioners Group.

By contacting Nicola, you could start the process for a better divorce.