Why Add Additional Members to your Collaborative Divorce Team?

You and your spouse have hired Collaborative Divorce attorneys. You are ready to begin the process. You need to ask yourself these questions to determine whether to add other Collaborative Divorce team members.

Do we need a Financial Specialist as part of our Collaborative Divorce team?

A Financial Specialist can help parse through your financial information and present it in an understandable manner. This is important when parties have complex financial assets or variable sources of income. A Financial Specialist can also prepare financial projections. This can be especially helpful in making you and your spouse comfortable that the income and assets you will have after the divorce will be sufficient for your lifestyle. A single Financial Specialist will review the finances for you and your spouse and report to both attorneys.

Do we need a Collaborative Divorce Coach as part of our Collaborative Divorce team?

A Collaborative Divorce Coach is a mental health professional who has trained as a divorce coach.  He or she does not act as a therapist, but rather as a coach to guide you and your spouse through the emotional issues that sometimes interfere with successful divorce negotiations. Sometimes each of you will have your own coach. Alternatively, one coach may be sufficient for both of you. The coach may attend the 4-way collaborative meetings, or may meet with you separately before or after such meetings. A Collaborative Divorce coach can facilitate negotiations and enhance the Collaborative Divorce experience.

Do we need a Child Specialist as part of our Collaborative Divorce team?

A Child Specialist is a mental health professional who is especially trained in the needs of children in a family undergoing divorce.  The Child Specialist may meet with your children to assess their needs and advise you about the best parenting plan for your children. If you have concerns about how your children are reacting to the divorce, you may want the advice of a Child Specialist in deciding upon an appropriate parenting plan.

Will Additional Collaborative Divorce team members increase the cost of our divorce?

The answer is not necessarily. The Financial Specialist can work with the financial information on behalf of both you and your spouse and report to your attorney. This is less costly than having each attorney review the numbers separately. The Collaborative Divorce Coach and the Child Specialist can enhance your ability to resolve issues, saving time and money in the long run.