Collaborative Divorce: Creating A Positive Divorce

Collaborative divorce is a successful alternative dispute resolution method used in divorce cases. A collaborative divorce offers all the benefits of mediation with the added benefit of having an attorney who represents you throughout the process. There are challenges to face in divorce, no matter which divorce method you choose, but I have seen the good that collaboration can do for people.

In collaborative divorce, each spouse has an attorney who helps the parties reach an agreement, rather than engage in an adversarial process. In some cases, a mental health professional and/or financial planner is used to reduce costs and address all the needs of the parties.

A collaborative attorney’s focus is on guiding their clients into making the best possible resolution for their individual and family needs. With each step, a collaborative attorney always has their client’s needs in mind, and will give their client the time and space to be able to make solid, effective resolutions.

Collaborative Divorce encourages spouses to work together to problem solve and produce creative solutions that fit their needs, keeping the decision-making power in their hands (instead of ceding it to a judge) is a powerful tool, and one that increases the likelihood that the collaborative method is successful.

In collaborative divorce, the divorce coach helps to facilitate communication, diffuse tense situations, and mediate between spouses so they can see the other’s point of view. Divorce coaches are known for their compassion and ability to guide couples into working together.

As a divorce attorney with more than 40 years of family law experience, I helped to introduce the benefits of collaborative divorce to the state of Missouri and have seen the good that has come from this method. My commitment is to help guide my clients during one of the most difficult seasons of their life into making strong, unique solutions that help their family in the future.

If you are in the Kansas City area and believe the collaborative method would work for you and your family, contact me, Hugh O’Donnell, today to schedule a consultation, or feel free to call me at (816) 533-5152 with any questions you have about collaborative divorce.