COLLABORATIVE DIVORCE AND FAMILY LAW IN FLORIDA. No matter how you look at it, divorce and family law matters are difficult to go through. Expectations of stability are shattered,

mistrust grows, and bills pile up. And then the litigation begins. Attorneys file and serve petitions, counterpetitions, requests to produce, and motions to compel. Each party hires dueling mental health experts to convince a judge that he or she should have more time with the children. Privacy is eliminated as each party’s life is probed and publicly questioned so that one side may gain a tactical advantage.

But there is a different way. A more civilized way. And it is called Collaborative Family Law (also known as Collaborative Divorce or Collaborative Practice).

We are a Collaborative law firm dedicated to helping people resolve personal disputes without destroying their families. We encourage the use of the Collaborative Family Law model in divorce, child custody, child support, alimony, post-judgment, prenuptial, and most other family law cases. Further, Adam B. Cordover is an internationally-recognized leader in Collaborative Practice, a trainer who teaches other professionals how to help families Collaboratively, and author of an upcoming American Bar Association book on Collaborative Law.

Cordover Joins Sarasota Collaborative Family Law Professionals

July 14, 2024/in Collaborative Divorce, Family Law News //Tags: Bradenton, Bradenton Beach, collaborative attorney, collaborative divorce, collaborative facilitator, collaborative family law, collaborative financial professional, Collaborative Law, collaborative mental health professional, collaborative practice, dissolution of marriage, divorce, Downtown Sarasota, Lake Sarasota, Lakewood Ranch, Manatee County, Sarasota, Sarasota County, Sarasota Springs, South Bradenton, South Sarasota, West Bradentonby Adam

Family Diplomacy managing attorney Adam B. Cordover has joined the Sarasota Collaborative Family Law Professionals (“SCFLP”) practice group.

About the Sarasota Collaborative Family Law Professionals

SCFLP is similar to a local bar association (it is not a law firm), and it is a membership-based organization made up of independent lawyers, psychologist, therapists, accountants, and financial planners who believe that there are better alternatives to court-based divorce. Specifically, the group educates professionals and the public about Collaborative Divorce and Family Law, and its members help families through the Collaborative Process.

As stated in the Sarasota group’s brochure, “All members of SCFLP have extensive experience in the area of family law. They are committed to the collaborative process and work together to reach a settlement on fair and equitable terms without the financial and emotional cost that often accompanies litigation. All members of SCFLP have extensive experience in the area of family law, and are licensed by their respective designated professional organization. Each completes the training required by the International Academy of Collaborative Professionals (IACP).”

Cordover Presents on Collaborative Mediation for International Academy of Collaborative Professionals

July 7, 2024/in Collaborative Divorce, Training //Tags: collaborative attorney, collaborative divorce, collaborative family law, Collaborative Law, collaborative mediation, collaborative practice, dissolution of marriage, divorce, florida divorceby Adam

On July 17, 2024 at 1:00 pm Eastern Time, Family Diplomacy managing attorney Adam B. Cordover will co-present a webinar on “Collaborative Mediation: Engaging Mediators in the Collaborative Process.” The presentation is for the International Academy of Collaborative Professionals and sponsored by OurFamilyWizard.

Adam’s co-presenters are Heather McArthur, co-founder and president of Collaborative Professionals of Central Florida and a Florida Supreme Court Certified Family Law Mediator, and Keith Grossman, a Florida Supreme Court Approved Primary Family Mediation Trainer and president of the Southwest Florida Collaborative Professionals Association.

Click Here to Learn More and Register

Adam’s Philosophy on Collaborative Divorce

Adam’s philosophy is that almost anybody going through divorce can benefit from a Collaborative Divorce, but that we professionals need to have as many tools as possible to help as many families as possible. Rather than try to force a family into a particular model of Collaborative Practice, we should shape a model to meet that family’s needs. Many Collaborative Lawyers have heard of models such as One-Coach/Neutral Facilitator, Two Coach, or Lawyer-Only. This presentation will discuss a different model: Collaborative Mediation.

Divorcing Wealthy in Florida

May 19, 2024/in Collaborative Divorce, Divorce Process, Private Divorce //Tags: alimony, child support, collaborative attorney, collaborative divorce, collaborative facilitator, collaborative family law, collaborative financial professional, Collaborative Law, collaborative mental health professional, collaborative practice, dissolution of marriage, divorce, equitable distributionby Adam

What is the best way to end up wealthy after divorce? It is by being even wealthier before divorce. The truth is that divorce is not cheap. But there are things that you can do to help preserve your wealth even if your marriage is ending.

Retain a Neutral Financial Professional

One of the biggest challenges when going through divorce is that one spouse typically knows more about the family finances than the other spouse. If you are the spouse with the knowledge, this can be frustrating because you feel you are making reasonable proposals that would benefit your spouse, and yet your spouse is outright rejecting them or refuses to make a decision, costing your family even more time and money. If you are the spouse without knowledge of the family finances, you feel like your spouse is trying to control you by badgering you to agree to their proposal, but how can you even make a decision that could have disastrous consequences for your long term financial future?

This is where a Neutral Financial Professional comes in.

The Neutral Financial Professional in Collaborative Divorce: Saving Your Family Time and Money

May 12, 2024/in Collaborative Divorce //Tags: alimony, child support, collaborative attorney, collaborative divorce, collaborative facilitator, collaborative family law, collaborative financial professional, Collaborative Law, collaborative mental health professional, collaborative practice, dissolution of marriage, divorce, equitable distribution, modification of final judgmentby Adam

Are you considering divorce? If so, you’re likely familiar with the emotional strain that comes with it. But amidst the whirlwind of emotions, it’s easy to overlook the importance of your family’s financial future when considering your divorce options. That’s where a Neutral Financial Professional steps in as an invaluable member of a Collaborative Divorce team. Let’s delve into what a Financial Professional does in this process and how they can help your family save money while preserving your financial well-being.

Collaborative Divorce

First and foremost, it’s essential to understand the Collaborative Divorce approach. Unlike traditional litigated divorces, where trial lawyers are retained and there is the constant threat or reality of a court battle, Collaborative Divorce emphasizes transparency, cooperation, and durable resolutions. The Collaborative Team typically comprises of specially-trained lawyers for each spouse, a team leader known as a Neutral Facilitator, and a Neutral Financial Professional. All professionals, once the process starts, can only help with out-of-court dispute resolution, and they are prohibited from being used to fight in court. The Collaborative Approach fosters open communication, leading to more amicable resolutions and, compared to litigated court battles, significant cost savings.

Role of the Neutral Financial Professional

Now, let’s shine a light on the role of the Neutral Financial Professional on the Collaborative Divorce team. As a Collaborative Lawyer, I often emphasize the pivotal role they play in ensuring fair and sustainable financial outcomes for both spouses. Here’s how they do it:

1. Financial Clarity

Divorce involves complex financial matters, from asset division to spousal support and child support. A Neutral Financial Professional brings clarity to this complexity by helping each of you analyze your financial situation. This is important, as it is common in divorce for one spouse to be less knowledgeable about the family’s finances than the other spouse. This disparity in knowledge oftentimes causes one spouse to freeze in the face of making long-term decisions out of fear of making the wrong decision, causes long delays and increased fees for both spouses.

Accordingly, the Financial Professional helps explain your family’s assets, liabilities, income, and expenses to provide a clear picture of your financial standing. This clarity is crucial for making informed decisions during negotiations, preventing surprises down the road.

Collaborative Jewish Divorce

May 5, 2024/in Collaborative Divorce //Tags: alimony, child custody, child support, collaborative attorney, collaborative divorce, collaborative facilitator, collaborative family law, collaborative financial professional, Collaborative Law, collaborative mental health professional, collaborative practice, dissolution of marriage, divorce, equitable distribution, florida divorce, Jewish divorce, Jewish Law, parental responsibility, parenting plan, Tampa Bay Collaborative Divorceby Adam

In these uncertain times, if you are Jewish and considering divorce, you may wonder where you can safely turn. I have watched in horror at the chants of “Jews will not replace us” in Charlottesville in 2017, the massacres of Israeli civilians on October 7th, and the more recent intimidation of Jewish students on campuses across the U.S. I have personally experienced people telling antisemitic jokes to me, apparently not realizing that I was Jewish. If, with this as a backdrop, you are facing the upheaval of divorce, let us help you and your family through a Collaborative Jewish Divorce.

Defining “Collaborative Mediation”

April 21, 2024/in Collaborative Divorce, Divorce Process, Family Law News, Mediation //Tags: co-mediation, collaborative attorney, collaborative facilitator, collaborative family law, collaborative financial professional, Collaborative Law, collaborative mediation, collaborative mental health professional, collaborative practice, Florida Academy of Collaborative Professionals, International Academy of Collaborative Professionals, mediationby Adam

If you do a Google search for “Collaborative Mediation,” you will get all sorts of results, many of which have nothing to do with one another. Many articles simply point out the differences between Collaborative Divorce and Mediation (one of my blog posts would be included with this group).

Other articles will use the term to be a synonym with Collaborative Divorce, referring to neutral professionals (typically a financial professional and licensed mental health professional) as mediators, even if those professionals have not been trained as mediators. This seems misleading to me. Still, other articles use the term to mean a friendly mediation or an interdisciplinary co-mediation where lawyers are optional. I have concerns about those articles because, despite using the term “collaborative,” what they describe is not a Collaborative Law Process as defined by the Florida Statutes or Uniform Collaborative Law Act/Rules. Again, this is misleading.

I recently was at the 12th Annual Conference of the Florida Academy of Collaborative Professionals (“FACP”) where I presented on the topic of “Collaborative Mediation: Engaging Mediators in the Collaborative Process.” My co-presenters were Heather McArthur, co-founder and president of Collaborative Professionals of Central Florida and Florida Supreme Court Certified Family Law Mediator, and Keith Grossman, a Florida Supreme Court Approved Primary Family Mediation Trainer and president of the Southwest Florida Collaborative Professionals Association.

As I have not found a good definition anywhere else, one of my goals in co-presenting on this topic (and writing this article) was to define the term “Collaborative Mediation.” Additionally, I hoped to shed light on this distinct model of Collaborative Practice, find a way to better engage mediators in the Collaborative Process, and offer an option under certain circumstances that could bring more clients and lawyers into the Collaborative Method.

Collaborative Divorce: What Does A Facilitator Do?

April 14, 2024/in Collaborative Divorce //Tags: child custody, collaborative divorce, collaborative family law, collaborative financial professional, Collaborative Law, collaborative mental health professional, collaborative practice, dissolution of marriage, divorce, parenting planby Adam

In a Collaborative Divorce, the Facilitator plays a crucial role in keeping everyone on task, aiding communication, managing emotions between you and your spouse, and, where applicable, tailoring a parenting plan for your children. A Facilitator is a professional who is licensed under Chapter 490 or 491, Florida Statutes. Here are some specific tasks they might undertake:

1. Project Management:

Facilitators are the project managers of the Collaborative Process. Without a clear direction, divorce negotiations can get off track real fast. The Facilitator keeps you and your lawyers focused on your interests rather than positions, works so that we are making the most efficient use of your time and money during team meetings, and checks in to see whether everyone has completed the tasks assigned to them.

2. Emotional Support:

Facilitators provide emotional support to both you and your spouse throughout the Collaborative Process. Divorce can be a highly stressful and emotional experience, even under the best of circumstances, and having a trained professional to talk to can be invaluable.

3. Communication Facilitation:

They help facilitate communication between the you and your spouse, ensuring that discussions remain productive and respectful. This can include helping each each of you express your needs and concerns effectively and ensuring that you both feel heard and understood.

Create Your Own Path with Collaborative Divorce

March 24, 2024/in Collaborative Divorce //Tags: alimony, child custody, child support, collaborative attorney, collaborative divorce, collaborative facilitator, collaborative family law, collaborative financial professional, Collaborative Law, collaborative mental health professional, collaborative practice, dissolution of marriage, divorce, equitable distribution, florida divorce, parenting plan, Tampa Bay Collaborative Divorce, Tampa Bay Collaborative Family Law, time-sharingby Adam

If you’re reading this, chances are you’re either going through a divorce or know someone who is. And let’s face it, divorce isn’t exactly a walk in the park. But what if I told you that in Florida there’s a way to navigate this challenging time while still preserving your self-determination and sanity? Enter: Collaborative Divorce.

Picture this: instead of duking it out in a courtroom with lawyers battling it out, Collaborative Divorce brings everyone to the table – you, your soon-to-be ex, and a team of professionals (including separate attorneys to provide each of you with independent legal advice) dedicated to finding solutions that work for everyone involved. Sounds pretty good, right? Here’s why it’s worth considering:

Collaborative Divorce Puts You in the Driver’s Seat

One of the biggest perks of Collaborative Divorce is that it empowers you to take control of your own future. Instead of leaving decisions about your life in the hands of a judge, you and your soon-to-be ex get to work together to find solutions that meet both of your needs. From dividing assets to co-parenting agreements, you have a say in it all.

Sarasota Collaborative Divorce Review: Solid Legal Advice

March 17, 2024/in Collaborative Divorce, Family Lawyer Reviews / Testimonials //Tags: collaborative divorce, Collaborative Law, divorceby Adam

Most people going through divorce are not looking to make an enemy out of their spouse. Rather, they are seeking to move on with their lives and make sure that they — and their kids, if any — are okay at the end of the day. That is why we specialize in Collaborative Divorce, a private and more humane way to resolve family disputes.

Here is a recent review that a client left on the Google page of our Sarasota office.

ABA Approves Collaborative Law Resolution 703

March 10, 2024/in Collaborative Divorce //Tags: ABA, American Bar Association, collaborative divorce, collaborative family law, Collaborative Law, collaborative practiceby Adam

The American Bar Association (“ABA”) House of Delegates has just approved Resolution 703, which promotes the Uniform Collaborative Law Act and Uniform Collaborative Law Rules (“UCLA”). In 2016, after many years of effort from professionals around the state, Florida adopted a version of the UCLA for use in divorce and family law.

Below are parts of the text (citations omitted) from Resolution 703: