By Anthony C. Adamopoulos, A Founder of North Shore Collaborative Divorce and the Massachusetts Collaborative Law Council

 

Collaborative Divorce gets you divorced quickly, safely and for less.

The Collaborative Process uses the unique Team Process where neutral experts, often at hourly fees below attorney fees, help you and your spouse resolve issues preventing a divorce.

The Collaborative Divorce Team consists of each of you; your attorneys and neutrals. The Professional Team involves the attorneys and neutrals.  In general terms, here is how the process works:

 

First, you will each conference, by phone or zoom, with your respective attorneys who will gather necessary information. Then your attorneys conference between themselves and agree what neutrals will be most cost effective for an efficient process. If there are personal problems that will prevent productive communication, or if there is a difference of opinion about any issue, then a Neutral Facilitator will be used. If there is any issue related to income, finances, property value or division then a Financial Neutral will be used.

 

Next, each of you conferences with each neutral.

 

Third, after the neutrals conference with each of you, the neutrals and attorneys conference and identify each dispute and what route will be used to resolve it.

There are different routes to resolution. The Professional Team strives to select the route that will be quickest and cost effective. Here are some of the routes:

 

Attorney Driven

The attorneys, relying on what they have learned from you and the neutrals, conference and develop potential solutions for each problem.

Then, each attorney “takes” each solution to their respective client. If both clients agree to a solution, that problem is solved. They then concentrate on the remaining problems following the same procedure.

 

Professional Team Driven

Here the Professional Team, works together to develop potential solutions for each problem. Then a neutral or neutrals conference with each of you, separately or together, to offer the Team developed solutions. Then you, your spouse and the neutral(s) work toward resolution of each issue.

 

Neutral Driven

In this route, you and your spouse, individually or jointly, work almost exclusively with the neutral(s) to resolve all issues.

Once agreement is achieved on every issue, your attorneys will work together to put your agreement into the appropriate language for a Settlement Agreement, probably the most important document in the whole divorce process.