How to have a lovely Divorce!

It is common knowledge that 1 in 3 marriages end in divorce and this can be a painful, bitter, expensive, drawn out process that destroys relationships and families. But there is another way to divorce. It is called Collaborative Practice. Yes, it’s a bit of a mouthful. Collaborative Practice in Family law is not new, it has been available for over 20 years and is huge in the US, Canada, and the UK. And its gaining a massive following in Australia for all the right reasons.

 

Collaborative Practice is a non-adversarial separation process without the intervention (and costs) of going to court. Many couples that separate want to preserve a respectful relationship with their ex, especially for the sake of their children. The Collaborative model works whereby both parties come to a series of round table meetings to discuss and agree to the terms of their separation in an open and transparent forum. Both parties have their lawyers with them and typically there is a coach to guide the meeting through its stages. The real benefit to this process is the inclusion of other experts when required. For those with children, there may be a need to include a child therapist in the meetings, for others with complex financial arrangements it may be beneficial to include a financial professional such as a financial adviser or accountant (called a financial neutral). All parties involved work towards a mutually beneficial outcome for the separating couple. It is outcome focussed.

Now I am not saying that Collaborative Practice is all smiles and air kisses. Being outcome focussed means that the ideal outcomes of the separation are prioritised and given fair consideration. This means that the issues that may be important to you as a family but from a legal point of view have no relevance (i.e. the agenda for fair time at Christmas or birthdays) are put on the agenda and an agreement is reached.

Collaborative Practice is not for every separation however if you want to find out more, speak to your local family lawyer. Not all family lawyers are able to conduct Collaborative matters, they will need the appropriate accreditation. You can find out more information at   www.collabprofessionalsnsw.org.au

Tanya Carlson is an accredited Financial Neutral and a member of several collaborative practice groups in Sydney, including Southern Sydney Collaborative Professionals.

While all care has been taken in the preparation of this material, no warranty is given in respect of the information provided and accordingly neither Tanya Carlson, GPS Wealth Ltd nor its related entities, employees or agents shall be liable on any ground whatsoever with respect to decisions or actions taken as a result of you acting upon such information”.