Collaborative Divorce in Michigan

The collaborative process enables couples who have decided to separate or end their marriage to work with their lawyers and, on occasion, other family professionals in order to avoid the uncertain outcome of court and to achieve a settlement that best meets the specific needs of the both parties and their children without the underlying threat of litigation.

The collaborative process transforms your relationship from married partners to co-parents, allies and possibly friends. The process, while not ignoring the law, is need-based, not position-based. Put another way, the collaborative process will create a settlement specifically tailored to the needs of your individual family.

The voluntary process is initiated when the couple signs a contract (a “participation agreement”) binding each other to the process and disqualifying their respective lawyer’s right to represent either one in any future family-relation litigation.

A mental health professional and/or a financial specialist are frequently involved depending upon the circumstances of your divorce. The process involves a “team” that focuses on your family’s unique circumstances. because of the transparent “team” approach, brainstorming ideas for settlement are the normal, not self-serving gamesmanship associated with traditional divorce litigation. And although any divorce will be painful, the escalation and stress of litigation are zero. This leaves people room to breathe an dfocus on the best interest of their family and their future.

The collaborative law process has the add benefit of being cost-efficient for the involved parties compared to high conflict, traditional divorce litigation. As the necessary tasks in the collaborative model are assigned to specialized professionals without duplication of efforrt, cost savings are realized.

I strongly recommend the collaborative process for most couples if you have children. Litigation destroys families. The collaborative process, on the other hand, preserve and fosters the relationships within the family. Courtney and Barbra are each specially trained in Collaborative Law. We are members of the Collaborative Practice Institute of Michigan.