Does Florida’s Collaborative Divorce Statute Protect Confidentiality?

When you face divorce in Florida, you may worry that your financial information, business details, or parenting struggles could become part of a public court file. If you or your spouse are a doctor, lawyer, executive, business owner, or anyone who values privacy, the idea of those details becoming public can feel overwhelming. You want a process that keeps your information protected and puts you, not a judge, in control.

Collaborative Divorce offers that protection. One of the most common questions clients ask is whether Florida’s Collaborative Law statute truly protects confidentiality.

Quick Answer

Yes. Florida’s Collaborative Divorce Statute (specifically, Fla. Stat. §61.58) protects confidentiality by, with narrow exceptions, keeping Collaborative communications private and preventing them from being used in court. The statute also protects nonparty participants (for example, a Neutral Financial Professional or Neutral Facilitator) so the professional team can help you make informed decisions without fear that exploratory discussions meant for informal discussions will later become evidence in a trial.

Key Takeaways

• Collaborative communications are confidential and generally cannot be used against you in court.
• The confidentiality and privilege belongs to the spouses and, in certain instances, nonparty participants.
• Neutral Financial Professionals and Neutral Facilitators are nonparty participants who receive protections so they can work freely and creatively.
• Fla. Stat. §61.58 has narrow exceptions, such as threats of harm or information that must be reported under other laws.
• The process supports open problem-solving and protects privacy, which can be especially helpful for high-asset families.

Why Confidentiality Matters in Collaborative Divorce

When you enter divorce, you may feel torn between wanting fairness and wanting privacy. Traditional litigation puts most information into the public court record. Collaborative Divorce, by contrast, takes place in private meetings with trained professionals, giving you space to speak openly and explore options without performing for a judge (whose main job is to, well, judge people).

Clients, especially high-net-worth individuals in Tampa, St. Petersburg, and Sarasota, often tell me that confidentiality is one of the main reasons they choose Collaborative Divorce. When you remove the fear of your information becoming public, solutions become easier to reach.

As a Collaborative attorney who regularly handles complex financial matters and clients with a public profile, I see how much more productively spouses negotiate when privacy is protected.

 

Understanding Florida’s Collaborative Confidentiality Law in Plain English

Fla. Stat. §61.58 grants strong confidentiality protections for the Collaborative Process. Here is what it means in everyday terms:

1. What you say in the Collaborative Process stays in the Collaborative Process.
   Generally, anything you or other members of the professional team say or write during Collaborative meetings and throughout the process cannot be used against you later in court.
2. Certain Professionals also receive protection.
   Certain members of your team, such as a Neutral Financial Professional or Neutral Facilitator, are considered nonparty party participants and can prevent the disclosure of Collaborative communications they created, such as draft reports or draft parenting plans.  Collaborative Lawyers are not considered nonparty participants (see definition of nonparty participant in Fla. Stat. §61.56(7)).  So, unlike other members of the team, they cannot prevent the disclosure of otherwise confidential communications that they drafted if both clients want it to be disclosed.
3. Confidential information is not discoverable.
   The other spouse cannot request Collaborative communications through discovery (such as through Requests for Production of Documents) if the process ends, unless both spouses agree.
4. You control the privilege.
   You and your spouse (and the nonparty participants for their communications) hold the confidentiality privilege. This ensures no one can use Collaborative discussions unless everyone agrees.

Exceptions to Confidentiality Under Fla. Stat. §61.58

Confidentiality and privilege in Collaborative Divorce has limited, common-sense exceptions. These exceptions promote safety and compliance with Florida law while preserving the integrity of the process.

Under §61.58(3), confidentiality and privilege does not apply to:

1. A signed written agreement resulting from the Collaborative Process.
   Your final, signed Collaborative Marital Resolution Agreement generally is not confidential (though you can learn how to further protect your privacy and keep your agreement out of the court file in this post).
2. Threats or statements of intent to commit violence.
   If someone threatens harm to another person, confidentiality does not shield that statement.
3. Information that must be reported by law.
   For example, if a Collaborative professional becomes aware of child abuse, elder abuse, or certain crimes, Florida law may require reporting. Confidentiality cannot override mandatory reporting statutes.
4. Information related to a complaint against a Collaborative Professional.
   If someone files a complaint of professional misconduct or malpractice against one of the Collaborative Professionals, information that would otherwise be considered confidential can be used to pursue or defend against the complaint.

These exceptions are narrow and rarely come into play. The vast majority of families experience the full benefit of Collaborative confidentiality without ever approaching an exception.

Why Non-Party Participants Have a Confidentiality Interest

Collaborative Divorce relies on a team of professionals who are not witnesses but guides. The statute protects certain members of the team because the process will not work unless they can help you freely and without fear of their exploratory writings and comments becoming evidence.

Neutral Financial Professionals

Because of confidentiality, your Neutral Financial Professional might be able to test financial projections, offer an informal business valuation, and explore multiple financial options. For example, if both spouses agree, you might receive a cost-effective estimated business valuation range, which can avoid the need for a $10,000 to $30,000 formal report designed to withstand courtroom cross-examination. In Collaborative Divorce, the goal is clarity, not preparing for courtroom battle.

Neutral Facilitators

Your Neutral Facilitator guides the emotional and parenting components of the divorce, and often serves as the team leader and time manager. Confidentiality allows the Facilitator to help you explore parenting plan options without worrying that a brainstormed custody schedule may later be used against a parent in litigation. This frees both parents to focus on what works best for the children, not what fits a rigid trial template.

Collaborative Lawyers

Collaborative Lawyers are excluded from the definition of nonparty participants from the statute and do not have any rights to protect disclosure of their communications.  In general, it is up to the clients whether these communications are disclosed.  However, a Collaborative Participation Agreement may limit the disclosure of or access to certain communications, such as professional pre-briefs and debriefs.

How Confidentiality Supports Better Agreements

Confidentiality creates emotional and practical safety. When you know your conversations stay private, you can:

• Speak honestly about concerns
• Ask questions without fear
• Explore creative parenting schedules
• Consider multiple financial scenarios
• Have reports and analysis created for you to make decisions rather than created to defend in trial
• Avoid posturing for a future trial
• Reach resolution more efficiently and peacefully

Collaborative Divorce does not remove the emotions of divorce, but it channels them into a structured, mindful process that helps families build durable agreements rather than courtroom conflict.

Collaborative Divorce is Highly Successful

Also, keep in mind that because the vast majority of Collaborative Cases are successful (a recent study showed an 85% success rate), in all likelihood you won’t have to worry about trying to keep confidential communications out of court.

FAQs

Are Collaborative Divorce communications confidential?

Generally, yes, with the specific statutory exceptions described above. Most discussions and reports in the Collaborative Process remain fully protected.

Can Collaborative Professionals prevent their communications from being disclosed later?

Generally, yes, certain Collaborative Professionals, such as a Neutral Financial Professional and Neutral Facilitator can prevent their communications from being disclosed. This protection does not extend to Collaborative Lawyers, whose communications are considered to fall under the rights of the clients, unless otherwise agreed.

What happens if the process ends without an agreement?

Confidentiality survives. Statements made during the Collaborative Process remain protected and cannot be used in court except by agreement or if it falls under a limited exception.

Does confidentiality increase the cost of the process?

Usually it reduces costs. Confidentiality lets the team use informal, efficient methods rather than court-ready reports and expert testimony.

Next Steps

If you want a private, respectful way to resolve your divorce without giving up control to a judge, Collaborative Divorce may be the right fit. You can schedule a confidential virtual planning meeting by calling us or clicking the button below.

You are not alone. We can help.

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Family Diplomacy Managing Attorney Adam B. Cordover leads a bespoke practice, having worked exclusively in out-of-court dispute resolution with a specialty in Collaborative Divorce for over a decade.  Adam is a local and international thought leader in Collaborative Family Law, having trained judges, lawyers, and other professionals throughout the United States, Canada, Middle East, and Europe.  He is co-author of an American Bar Association book on Collaborative Practice and a former member of the Boards of the International Academy of Collaborative Professionals and Florida Academy of Collaborative Professionals.