We had a call the other day from someone facing divorce. He wanted to know more about the collaborative divorce process. He said he was intrigued by the possibility of a collaborative divorce, but he also wanted to be protected in the divorce. He said he was thinking he might need to call the law firm that advertises on the radio. When asked what the things where that he wanted protected specifically, he said, “my kids.”

We cringe when this happens. We absolutely understand that there can be a lot of fear and mistrust going into divorce, and there’s an understandable desire to have a strong advocate at your side.

But when we get this kind of call, it shows us how much work still needs to be done to help people understand that 1) the lawyers who advertise on the radio that they will protect you can’t protect you and your kids from the huge financial and emotional cost of their adversarial approach. And 2), your lawyer in the collaborative process will be just as intent on, and can be just as effective in, protecting your interests while not exacerbating the emotional toll.

Generally, when we get calls like this, we invite the caller to come in for an initial consultation. We explain all of the options: the adversarial court approach, court-sanctioned mediation, and the collaborative process. We want them to understand all of their alternatives. Our goal is to make sure people make good decisions, whether they’re in the process of choosing a divorce process or in the final stages of reaching a settlement agreement in the collaborative process.

If you’d like to learn more about collaborative divorce and how it can protect you AND your kids, please call or email for a consultation.