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 / Our-Featured-Authors / What Does “Collaborative” Mean?

What Does “Collaborative” Mean?

November 22, 2022 By Becky Davenport

The term ‘collaborative divorce’ can sound like an oxymoron- words that just don’t go together. Many people assume that divorce has to be contentious and adversarial, so the word ‘collaborative’ doesn’t seem to be realistic. How can a process that involves pain, grief, anger, fear, and so many other emotions ever be called ‘collaborative’?

Collaborative Divorce

Collaborative divorce is a legal process that has evolved over several decades influenced by professionals (including judges, attorneys, mental health professionals, and financial processionals) who saw the negative impact of the traditional litigation divorce process on the divorcing parties and their families. We recognized the traditional litigation process often unnecessarily adds to the family’s pain because it so often fuels mistrust, fear, and anger instead of de-escalating conflict.

There are many misconceptions about collaborative divorce, most prevalent among the misconceptions is that the only people who can use a ‘collaborative’ divorce process are those who are getting along peacefully at the time of divorce. The reality is that very few couples entering the collaborative divorce process would fit this description. Divorce is a stressful life event and involves making difficult decisions for oneself and one’s children. Divorcing parties rarely agree perfectly about how these decisions should get made in the process, and the conversations about these topics are never easy. They are able, though, with trained guides, to reach agreements about how to resolve financial issues and care for their children after the divorce.

A collaborative divorce process is designed to allow the parties to make difficult decisions through the support of trained collaborative professionals who understand the conditions in which people, even under significant stress, can make important decisions. Important characteristics of a collaborative process include:

  • The clients agree to work with trained professionals to reach an agreement instead of using an adversarial litigation process that puts decision making in the hands of a judge.
  • Each client is represented by an attorney who is committed to transparency and sharing all relevant information between the parties.
  • Meetings are scheduled in advance based on the clients’ schedules, with an agenda developed by the professional team to ensure clients are prepared for any topic to be discussed. Meetings are efficient and intentional to avoid unnecessary costs.
  • The professionals supporting the clients, including attorneys, agree to abide by a code of conduct centered on transparency between parties, trust, and future well-being of the clients and their children.
  • The attorneys work as a team with neutral professionals, usually a financial professional and mental health professional, who are trained to facilitate productive decision-making regarding parenting after divorce and financial divisions.
  • The clients and professionals agree to complete the divorce process privately, with the team being bound to keep the clients’ private information confidential.
  • The collaborative divorce attorneys are trained to not only advocate for their client’s goals, but also recognize the client’s spouse has important goals for the future. 
  • All necessary financial information is gathered in the most cost-efficient manner, usually by the neutral financial professional, in order to avoid duplication of work that often occurs in litigation processes.
  • Divorcing parents are supporting in the divorce process to establish a parenting plan that is good for their children and successfully implement it after the divorce is final, for the benefit of their children.

“Collaborative” divorce is still a divorce- a divorce is a significant and stressful life event that reshapes life for everyone in the family. “Collaborative” signifies the commitment of the team to guide the clients through this very difficult time in their lives without creating even more fear, stress, and anger between the parties. If you are considering divorce, contact a CDT member to learn more.

About Becky Davenport

Dr. Davenport is a marriage and family therapist in San Antonio, and owner of the Institute for Couple and Family Enhancement. She is also trained to serve as a mental health neutral in Collaborative Divorce.

Filed Under: Becky Davenport, Our-Featured-Authors Tagged With: collaborative divorce

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

  • Collaborative Divorce Testimonial
  • Child of Divorce

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?

Ten Financial Decisions You Must Make During Divorce

You will face important financial choices during a divorce, including documenting what you own, dealing with the family home, dividing marital property, proving separate property, separating pensions, … [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