Attorneys and any other outside professionals brought into the process also agree in advance that they will not go to court. Unlike litigation, which can take up to two years, collaborative law divorces take about 6 months on average to hammer out agreements between couples. Lawyers pool together their experience and talent and use the same energy to fashion a win-win situation. That's very unusual in our law system. A strategy known as Collaborative Divorce goes further, using not only collaborative lawyers but an entire team of mental health professionals, child psychologists and financial advisers to help guide a couple through the divorce process.
Meetings are always four-way.
We teach clean, businesslike communication between the couple. If the couple are not ready keep their emotions in check, they are referred to counseling until they are. Divorce is, in essence, a business transaction. To get anything done, you need to keep emotions out of it. Teaching couples to communicate effectively has had unexpected benefits, she said.