Why LGBTQ+ Professionals Choose Collaborative Divorce in Florida
As an LGBTQ+ professional, you may already be carrying the weight of navigating a world that does not always recognize or protect your family the way it should. Whether you are “out” or prefer to keep parts of your personal life private, these times can feel especially heavy. Sadly, you may feel like many LGBTQ+ families today—under attack—whether from unfair legislation, social judgment, or even your own community.
When you are going through a divorce, the last thing you need is to have your private life, financial matters, or parenting decisions laid bare in a public courtroom. That’s why many LGBTQ+ professionals turn to Collaborative Divorce—a private, respectful, and forward-thinking way to resolve family matters without fighting in court.
Privacy and Flexibility You Won’t Find in Court
In the Collaborative Process, your negotiations happen in private meetings (these days, most families choose to hold their meetings via Zoom). Unlike traditional divorce, arguments do not take place in open court where anyone can watch or pull your records later. This privacy matters, especially in today’s climate when LGBTQ+ families may feel vulnerable to public scrutiny. You work through difficult conversations behind closed doors with the help of a specially trained team, including a separate lawyer for each spouse, a neutral facilitator, and a neutral financial professional. Everyone on the team is committed to helping you and your spouse reach thoughtful, lasting agreements without ever stepping foot in a courtroom.
And here’s something else many LGBTQ+ families find meaningful: you and your spouse can make agreements that courts could not order on their own. For example, Florida courts generally treat assets as marital only if they were acquired after legal marriage. But many LGBTQ+ couples built lives together long before marriage equality became law. In the Collaborative Process, you and your spouse can agree to treat pre-marriage assets as shared marital property if that feels right for your situation. You are not limited by strict legal definitions—you get to define what fairness means for your family.
Extra Layers of Privacy
At the end of the day, only a judge can actually grant the divorce. But because your divorce is resolved outside of court, upon agreement we can file your divorce in a county far from where either spouse or your children live, work, or go to school. This adds an extra layer of protection from prying eyes—whether from neighbors, colleagues, or business competitors.
Additionally, we may even be able to keep your financial information, private agreements, and parenting plans out of the public court file. This means that your personal and family matters stay between you, your spouse, and your Collaborative team—not in public records where anyone can access them.
A History of Serving LGBTQ+ Families
Attorney Adam B. Cordover has been a pioneer in helping LGBTQ+ families through Collaborative Divorce. In fact, he was involved in the first same-sex divorce in the State of Florida that challenged both the state’s so-called Defense of Marriage Act and the Florida constitutional amendment banning recognition of same-sex relationships. That case made history—and it happened through the Collaborative Process, showing how this method can honor your family’s story while helping you move forward with dignity and respect.
Adam has trained lawyers, financial professionals, and mental health experts throughout the United States, Canada, Israel, and France on how to help families like yours navigate divorce outside of court. He co-authored Building A Successful Collaborative Family Law Practice, a book published by the American Bar Association, and has dedicated his career to helping people resolve conflict privately and respectfully.
We Can Help You Move Forward
If you are an LGBTQ+ professional considering divorce, you deserve a process that protects your privacy, respects your family, and gives you control over your future. At Family Diplomacy: A Collaborative Law Firm, we are here to guide you through every step.
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We represent LGBTQ+ families throughout the State of Florida via our virtual practice. We also have offices by appointment in Tampa, St. Petersburg, and Sarasota. We are a bespoke law firm that practices exclusively in out-of-court dispute resolution with a specialty in Collaborative Divorce.
