Collaborative divorce provides a unique and more cooperative alternative to traditionally litigated divorces. This process 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 people the comfort of knowing their legal interests are represented while also feeling secure that the ultimate decisions belong to them and not a judge.

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 a less expensive way to divorce than litigation. The ideal outcome 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 feeling certain they will only sign an agreement they find acceptable.

The collaborative process focuses on identifying common grounds and clarifying values in order 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 well being of all members of the family in mind. The collaborative process often involves the use of a collaborative divorce Coach or Facilitator. This role is usually filled by a mental health professional and is typically called a Divorce Coach or Facilitator. The Divorce Facilitator is skilled at recognizing and diffusing anxiety, anger 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 collaborate process. The Divorce Coach serves to clarify and identify your interests and goals, reduce misunderstandings, help develop viable co-parenting plans and facilitate a family’s transition through the process.

Collaborative Divorce may be particularly advantageous to families with kids as results are less likely to be relitigated in the future. This process allows consideration for the nuances in scheduling associated with children active in sports, with special needs or unique to your family. Collaboration is associated with overall lower levels of conflict between the parents which we know is most beneficial to the kids. Collaborative Divorce is a process designed with the best interests of the children in mind. In addition to the role of divorce coach, mental health professionals often serve collaborative in the role of Child Specialist in the collaborative process. The Child Specialist who is a neutral mental health professional that is trained in child development and family systems and specifically as it pertains to divorce and adjustment. This professional may meet with the children separately in order to gain a better understanding of their needs and wishes.

Trying to decide if Collaborative Divorce right for you?

• Are you ready to divorce?
• Do you want to avoid returning to court after your divorce?
• Would you rather to collaborate with your partner in making the decisions for your family than have a judge decide your future?
• Do you have kids?
• Will you be honest and participate in a good faith effort to help your family
• transition from one house to two?

If you answered yes to ANY of the questions above, there is a good chance that a collaborative divorce will be a good fit for you and your family.

At the Center for Psychological Growth and Wellness, Dr. Lisa Saponaro is trained in the collaborative divorce process. Additionally, Dr. Saponaro is a trained mediator and has decades of conflict resolution experience. At the Center for Psychological Growth and Wellness , we pride ourselves on the work we do with children and families. We regularly collaborate on client care in team meetings and have taken our practice further in our commitment to family wellness by adding the Divorce Coach and Child Specialist roles in Collaborative Divorce to the services we offer.

Our practice is located in Plantation, Florida. We regularly offer diagnostics and assessment services for children and adults and treat a variety of mental health concerns including: Anxiety, Depression, Autism, PTSD, Grief, Addictions, and a variety of mood and behavioral problems. This gives us a compassion advantage when working with families during the divorce process who may have emotional or behavioral problems within the family. We make every effort to connect to relevant professionals such as attorneys, parenting coordinators, reunification specialists, Guardian Ad Litems, financial professionals and others to help ensure families have well rounded care and children’s needs are paramount.

After decades of working with families from a collaborative approach, the Center for Psychological Growth and Wellness now offered the services of Collaboratively Trained Divorce Professionals in the role of Divorce Coach and Child Specialist. Call 954-577-0095 or email help@plantationpsychologists.com for more information or to set up a consultation today.