Collaborative Divorce Texas

  • Donate
  • For Professionals
    • Membership Advantages
    • Events/Training
    • Become a Member
    • For Students
    • Volunteer at CDT
    • Advertise With Us
  • Contact Us
  • Login
  • Home
  • Find a Collaborative Professional
  • What is a Collaborative Divorce?
    • What is Collaborative Divorce?
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • About CDTexas
    • Master and Credentialed Collaborative Divorce Professionals
    • The Gay G. Cox Award for Excellence in Collaborative Law
  • Blog
  • For Collaborative Professionals
    • Membership Benefits
    • Events/Training
    • Become a Member
    • For Students
    • Advertise With Us
    • Volunteer at CDT
    • Login
  • Donate
  • Contact Us
  • What is Collaborative Divorce?
    • What is Collaborative Divorce?
    • Why Use a CDTexas Member?
    • About Us
    • Master and Credentialed Collaborative Divorce Professionals
    • The Gay G. Cox Award for Excellence in Collaborative Law
  • Testimonials
  • FAQs
  • Blog
  • Find A Professional
    • How Do I Choose a Collaborative Professional?
    • Attorneys
    • Financial Professionals
    • Mental Health Professionals
    • See All

Donate

You are here: Home / ••• / Four Core Principles of Collaborative Divorce

Four Core Principles of Collaborative Divorce

July 5, 2017 By Kevin Fuller Leave a Comment

core principlesCollaborative Divorce is a constructive, settlement oriented, process designed to help families resolve their conflicts without having to go to court. The following are four core principles that make up the backbone of Collaborative Divorce. The process works at its best when clients, their lawyers and all other professionals participating in the process stay grounded in these five core principles.   

1.  Constructive Settlement based on Common Courtesy and Care for the Family.

The core purpose of the process is to help people constructively reach settlement through respectful communication, negotiation and compromise.  Participants commit to speak, act and communicate in ways that are consistent with attempting to constructively reach settlement. The process is about finding solutions and not attacking, blaming or humiliating the clients or the professionals. The goal of the process is to help families work through family law problems in ways that are less damaging, less traumatic and less expensive than approaches often used in the traditional litigation process. The professionals pledge to speak, act and communicate in ways that are consistent with the goal of caring for the well-being of the family throughout the process. 

2.  Respect for the Process.

The constructive settlement process consists of a) agreeing to ground rules, b) gathering and exchanging information, c) exploring options, d) evaluating options, e) negotiating solutions, and f) documenting agreements – in that order. Participants recognize and commit to following this process in its sequential steps to help all involved make better, durable and more informed decisions. 

3.  Informed Decisions made by Empowered Clients.

The process is about empowering people to make informed decisions to resolve their disputes. Participants recognize that full disclosure, transparency and documentation are essential to making informed, durable decisions, and the participants commit to act consistently with the goal of helping all concerned make informed decisions based on full disclosure. The goal of having clients make their own empowered decisions is at the core of the collaborative process. The professionals work to inform, educate and advocate for the clients and the family but the ultimate success or failure of the process rests with the actions and decisions of the clients. 

4.  Hope for the Future.

The process recognizes that resolving family conflicts can be extremely challenging and often involves broken trust, hurt feelings and strong emotions. The professionals pledge that no matter how difficult or challenging the conflict, they will aspire to speak, act and communicate in ways that promote the hope that in the future there can be some form of peace for a hurting family.

When you interview a professional about helping you with your Collaborative Divorce make sure their words and actions are consistent with the four core principles listed above. If the professional you’re interviewing matches up with the principles listed above in their words and actions, you’re likely talking to a true Collaborative Divorce professional that can help you and your family through a difficult situation. If a professional’s words and actions don’t match up with the core principles listed above, keep interviewing until you find a professional that is a fit for you and a fit with these principles.

About Kevin Fuller

As a veteran of hundreds of intense high-conflict negotiations and trials, Kevin Fuller knows the personal and financial costs of courtroom battles – and seeks a better way to help clients resolve their disputes more constructively.

Filed Under: •••, Blog, Kevin Fuller, Our-Featured-Authors, Resources for Divorce Tagged With: collaborative divorce, core principles

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Find a Professional

Getting started with the Collaborative Process?

First your need to connect with a trained Collaborative Professional.

[Find Out More....]

Articles by Category

Featured Video

  • Child of Divorce
  • Collaborative Divorce Testimonial

Why Collaborative?

  • Jennifer Leister
  • Steve Walker
  • Carla Calabrese
  • Dawn Budner
  • Becky Davenport
  • Jody Johnson
  • Honey Schef
  • James Urmin
  • Kurt Chacon
  • Natalie Gregg
  • Robert Matlock
  • Deborah Lyons
  • Carlos Salinas
  • Camille Scroggins
  • Linda Solomon
  • Richard Soat
  • Lisa Rothfus
  • Jeffrey Shore
  • Barbara Cole
  • David Brunson
  • Jennifer Tull
  • Syd Sh
  • Susan Z. Wright
  • Christi Trusler
  • Camille Milnser
  • Linda Threats
  • Sarah Keathley
  • MaryAnn Kildebeck
  • David Bouschor
  • LIsa Marquis
  • Harry Munsinger
  • Vicki James
  • Robin Watts
  • Katie Berry
  • Jack Emmott
  • Jennifer Broussard
  • Patricia Havard
  • Paula Locke Smyth
  • Laura Schlenker
  • Norma Trusch
  • Brett Christiansen
  • Tim Whitten
  • Mickey Gayler
  • Melinsa Eitzen
  • Julian Schwartz
  • MaryAnn Knolle
  • Chad Olsen
  • Chris Farish
  • Charles Quaid
  • Anne Shuttee
  • Barbara Runge
  • Rhonda Cleaves -
  • Jamie Patterson
  • Catherine Baron
  • Kristen Algert
  • Sandra Roland
  • Rhonda Cleaves 2
  • Gratia Schoemakers

Have you read?

Do Divorcing People Have to Act Crazy?

Ever known someone who went through a divorce, and they acted like a crazy person? Bet you have. So have I. Wives who cut the crotches out of their husband’s best pants. Husbands who threw their … [Read More...]

More Articles from this Category

The Collaborative Law Institute of Texas

d/b/a
Collaborative Divorce Texas

Proud Members of IACP

1400 Preston Road
Suite 400
Plano, TX 75093
(972) 386-0158

Please note: Our office will be closed on

Holiday closures:
Limited: Nov. 23rd & 24th
Closed: Nov. 25th , 26th and 27th

Christmas:
Closed from December 24-December 30, 2022.
Offices open on January 2nd, 2023.


Website Terms of Usage

Contact Our Webmaster

 

Follow Us

  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter
  • Vimeo
  • YouTube

Search Our Website

Find A Professional

  • Find a Collaborative Professional
  • Attorneys
  • Financial Professionals
  • Mental Health Professionals
  • See All

Copyright © 2023 · Collaborative Divorce Texas · All Rights Reserved

· · ·

Web Design and Maintenance by The Crouch Group