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To move on positively, there are times when working with other professionals can be helpful and can facilitate coming to an agreement. Coaches can assist in developing communication tools and managing difficult emotions. Child specialists can work with parents in creating a parenting plan that works best for the children. Financial specialists can help gather and analyze financial information. Valuation consultants can provide neutral valuations of assets. Vocational consultants can provide information regarding training, education and employment opportunities.

Who is on The Collaborative Divorce Team?

Family Lawyers are trained in divorce mediation skills and the collaborative process. Family lawyers provide legal advice, prepare the legal documents and shepherd the couple through the legal process. Each client retains a family lawyer to advise them individually. The family lawyer consults privately with their respective client and participates in four-way meetings with the other spouse and their lawyer. The lawyers use their non-adversarial mediation skills to assist the clients in reaching a settlement.

Divorce Coaches are Licensed Clinical Social Workers, Marriage and Family Therapists, Psychologists, or otherwise certified professionals who are well versed in family dynamics and issues pertaining to separation and divorce. Coaches provide emotional support, optimize communication skills, discuss parenting concerns, and help ensure that needs, concerns and feelings are understood and exchanged productively. Typically, each person will have their own coach to assist them during the collaborative process.

Child Specialists focus on the children's needs in the divorce process. All child specialists have advanced training in child development as well as expertise related to children of divorce. Working as an independent advocate for the children, the child specialist provides the children with a safe place to share their feelings and express their needs. Through this process the child specialist works to ensure that the needs and concerns of the children are being considered by both parents and all members of the team.

Financial Advisors act as a neutral third party in the collaborative process. The financial advisor assists with the gathering of financial information and the preparation of budgets. He or she also acts as a resource in dealing with such financial issues as tax implications and the projection of investment incomes, and have particular expertise in analyzing options for the division of the family assets and the determination of support payments if necessary.