The Collaborative Divorce Option

Your Divorce. Your Decisions.

Imagine resolving your divorce outside of court on terms custom-built for your children, your finances, and your goals. Imagine using professionals whose goal is to advise and help make things better, not worse. The Collaborative Divorce Process empowers families with an efficient and cost-effective way to gently end your marriage.

Ready to get divorced on your own terms?

*Must meet income and asset guidelines to qualify.

What is Collaborative Divorce?

The Collaborative Process is a confidential, cost-effective approach to divorcing outside of court. A team of a neutral family counselor, a neutral financial expert, and a Collaborative lawyer for you and one for your spouse help you to build options for your family. The Collaborative divorce team creatively builds solutions outside of court. A family using the Collaborative Divorce Process saves time, money and maintains privacy for the important agreements they make for their family’s future.

A Better Divorce Process

Cost

A traditional courtroom divorce is governed by rules and procedures that make it expensive. Thirty percent of collaborative cases in Florida cost less than $25,000.00 for the whole family, which covers the services of the lawyer for each spouse, the facilitator, and the financial expert. Many Collaborative lawyers offer even more affordable options.

Confidentiality

Information exchanged in the Collaborative divorce process is confidential. In a traditional courtroom divorce, all the details related to your children, your money and your disagreements are public and available for anyone to see. Collaborative divorce provides families with an unparalleled level of privacy, so that the decisions regarding your family are for your eyes only

Creativity

Judges are limited to a strict application of the law when they are asked to make decisions. This ‘black and white’ approach can often leave families with undesired results. In the Collaborative Process, while the law is one consideration, it is not the only factor. You and your spouse can craft options with the help of your professional team that are best for your family.

Completion

A traditional court-based divorce can take years. The Collaborative Process is far more efficient. 78% of collaborative divorce cases in Florida complete in less than 6 months, and over 91% complete in less than 9 months. In Florida, more than 85% of all collaborative cases end with a full agreement.

Find Collaborative Divorce Professionals Now

Your Collaborative attorneys cannot represent you in Court if you do not get to full resolution in the Collaborative Process.
This helps ensure that agreements are reached because everyone on the team is dedicated to a fair and equitable outcome that meets the client’s goals.

Collaborative Can Help With:

Divorce

The Collaborative Process addresses all issues in divorce: parenting plans – timesharing with children, division of assets and liabilities, property and business values, and child support and spousal support (alimony).

Paternity

The Collaborative Process helps unmarried parents establish paternity, build parenting plans, determine how parenting decisions will be made, and agree how expenses for children will be paid.

Pre/Postnuptial Agreements

Are you about to be married, already married, or want to define what will happen in the event of a divorce or death of a spouse proactively? You can collaboratively create provisions for the possible end of your relationship in a thoughtful and creative way.

Family Changes - Modification

The Collaborative Process can help navigate changes after divorce, such as when a former spouse’s income changes or when a parent is considering a move.

Who We Are

Florida Academy of Collaborative Professionals

The Florida Academy of Collaborative Professionals is Florida’s statewide organization of lawyers, financial and mental health professionals whose mission is to guide families to peaceful divorce without going to Court using the Collaborative Process.

Our vision is to create a culture in which the Collaborative Process is the prevailing method for the resolution of disputes beginning with family law and evolving into other areas of law.

If you are a lawyer, financial professional or mental health professional, and would like to get engaged in the collaborative community, see the link below for more information.