Collaborative Divorce

Collaborative divorce provides a more cooperative alternative to traditionally litigated divorces and places the solutions and agreements in the hands of the involved parties. Unlike the pro se divorce, where each party represents themselves, in the collaborative divorce each party has their own attorney and both attorneys are committed to facilitating a working agreement. This provides partners the comfort of knowing their legal interests are represented while also feeling secure that the ultimate decisions belong to the family not the court. Unlike mediation, the collaborative professionals are committed to a collaborative result and are forbidden from participating in court proceedings in the event the collaborative process is terminated or unsuccessful. However, like mediation, the collaborative process facilitates empowerment of the family members, unique solutions, and is a less expensive route to divorce than litigation. The ideal resolution supports a caring, loving, and supportive relationship between children and their parents. While it is typical that no party gets everything they want, in a collaborative divorce, all parties can leave confident they will only sign an agreement they find acceptable.

The collaborative process focuses on identifying common grounds and clarifying values to ensure decisions are made with your long-term goals in mind. Collaborative divorce requires that all parties participate in an honest, good faith manner with the ultimate wellbeing of all members of the family in mind. The collaborative process often involves the use of a collaborative divorce Coach or Facilitator. As a mental health professional, trained in mediation, Lisa Saponaro, Ph.D. participates in the collaborative process as a Divorce Coach. The Divorce Facilitator is skilled at recognizing anxiety, depression, and other emotional factors that often get in the way of resolutions. Additionally, the coach is trained in communication strategies and mediation to support the collaborative process. In the role of Divorce Coach, Dr. Saponaro serves to clarify and identify the parties’ interests and goals, reduce misunderstandings, help develop viable co-parenting plans, and facilitate the family’s transition through the process.