Collaborative Law Answer to Divorce Corp. Highlighted Problems

A film entitled “Divorce Corp.” has been getting a lot of buzz lately by highlighting some of the problems with the current state of divorce.  Though the film has been controversial among family law professionals, as it is said to focus on the extreme of family law cases, there is an answer to the traditional courtroom divorce industry as portrayed in Divorce Corp.: collaborative law, which is now offered throughout Florida.

Collaborative attorney Sandra Crawford recently wrote a piece about collaborative law for the Courier-News in response to Divorce Corp.:

The philosophy behind collaborative law is simple: Even if your marriage fails, that doesn’t mean you have to carry that failure over into your post-marriage lives.

Traditionally, divorces have been litigated matters, characterized by drawn-out, expensive and combative affairs in which each side “lawyers up.”

Now practiced in at least 25 countries, collaborative divorce (aka collaborative law or collaborative practice) is a “no-court-client-centered” dispute resolution process that separating spouses can use with the help of professionals (licensed legal, mental health and financial professionals) trained in collaborative law and mediation.

Among other components of collaborative law, the professionals (lawyers, mental health and financial professionals) enter a written commitment not to go to court, and commit to withdraw if either or both of the spouses decide that litigation (i.e. third-party decision making by a judge) is necessary or desired.

So far, thousands of families have benefited from this approach. And anyone contemplating divorce or who knows someone in that situation should make a point of understanding collaborative law and other alternatives to a court process, such as private mediation and unbundled legal services.

Otherwise, the likelihood of “divorce disaster,” as highlighted vividly in “Divorce Corp.,” rises — with children bearing the brunt of its long-lasting ill effects. And those negative outcomes inevitably spin off into the broader community where we live, work and attend school.

If you want to know how collaborative law can help your family respectfully and privately work out difficult family law issues and you want to speak with a Tampa Bay Collaborative Divorce Attorney, schedule a consultation with The Law Firm of Adam B. Cordover, P.A., at (813) 443-0615 or fill out our contact form.

Adam B. Cordover is currently president of Next Generation Divorce, an interdisciplinary practice group of 70+ dedicated professionals in the legal, mental health, and financial fields.