5,310
edits
Changes
no edit summary
Collaborative negotiation is a voluntary, cooperative process in which each party retains a collaboratively-trained lawyer, and other collaborative professionals as needed, to resolve not just the legal issues but also the emotional issues arising from the end of a long-term relationship. (Not surprisingly, the emotional issues that come up after separation can often be a barrier to resolving the legal issues.) The other professionals who might be involved in a collaborative process include:
*'''Divorce coaches:''' counsellors trained in collaborative negotiation who may work with each party to manage the emotions typically associated with separation and help them finalize a parenting plan that best meets the needs of the children.("Divorce coach" really isn't the best name for the mental health professionals who take this role, since collaborative negotiation is available for all families, not just those in which the adults are married to each other.)
*'''Financial specialists:''' neutral financial experts, trained in collaborative negotiation, who may work with everybody to review and make recommendations about the available financial options.
*'''Child specialists:''' neutral mental health experts, trained in collaborative negotiation, who may work with everybody and with the children to ensure the children's wishes and preferences are heard and make recommendations about the parenting plan that best meets their needs.
This sounds like an awful lot of professionals, however, in collaborative processes the lawyers and their clients work together to build the team that best suits their needs and circumstances. As well, this approach provides a more specialized, and often more cost-effective, way to deal with separation than just leaving it all to the lawyers. Most collaborative professionals believe that this process is normally more cost-effective and more efficient than litigation.
The purpose of collaborative negotiation is to help the parties negotiate a reasonable settlement that restructures their family in the most positive manner possible, recognizing that families continue and need to flourish despite the separation of the adults involved. Parents ''must'' be able to effectively work together to raise their children long after their romantic relationship has come to an end, and that is the fundamental goal of collaborative negotiation.
==How do I start in the a collaborative process?==
Because it collaborative negotiation is a voluntary process, both you and your spouse must everyone has to agree to proceed in this process. Most collaborative professionals believe that it is most often a more cost-effective and timely process than litigation and consider use it to be a more holistic approach to preserving families going through separationresolve their dispute. Once you and your spouse agree the parties have agreed to use the a collaborative process, they must each of you must retain hire a collaboratively -trained lawyer. Sometimes the process starts when the couple meets with a <span class="noglossary">divorce</span> coach first and then collaborative lawyers are brought in.
===Finding a collaborative professional===