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Hope for the Holidays

December 22, 2017 By Collaborative Divorce Dallas

hope for the holidays

According to the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, the number of divorce filings is one third higher in January than any other month. Resolutions–decisions to change what is not working–might include a marriage. Or perhaps a couple puts off the unavoidable in an effort to “save” the holidays.  Regardless the reason, this time can bring an interesting opportunity. Any time of year, … [Read more...] about Hope for the Holidays

Filed Under: Blog

Building Bridges in the Collaborative Process

December 12, 2017 By Linda Solomon

…from a Mental Health Professional’s Perspective Working as a Neutral Mental Health Professional, on collaborative teams, gives me a unique view of the process and my role.  I have learned so many things from parents who are going thru a divorce, or are already divorced, and working to build a strong co-parenting relationship. It is not unusual, when I first meet people who have chosen this … [Read more...] about Building Bridges in the Collaborative Process

Filed Under: Benefits of Team Approach, Blog, Collaborative Conversation, Mental Health Issues

Collaborative Divorce: The Relationship After the Decree

November 30, 2017 By Linda Solomon

On a vacation in Zagreb, Croatia, I walked down a cobblestone street and came upon a small building with a sign that read, “Museum of Broken Relationships.” The words seemed so out of place, I was drawn in. I realized upon entering that it was a museum of sorts, but one that houses recent items.  The concept was to ask people from anywhere in the world to send one item (of any size and shape), … [Read more...] about Collaborative Divorce: The Relationship After the Decree

Filed Under: Blog, Collaborative Conversation, Mental Health Issues

For the Spouse Without the Kids this First Thanksgiving

November 21, 2017 By Collaborative Divorce Dallas

thanksgiving

First of all, you may feel alone, but you are not; it is not at all unusual to feel out of sorts or a little off at the holidays, even if it isn’t your first holiday post divorce.  But being “thankful” in the context of divorce can feel like a bad joke or at least an oxymoron.  But being conscious of this likelihood might make it easier when the  maelstrom arises. Mental Health Professional Linda … [Read more...] about For the Spouse Without the Kids this First Thanksgiving

Filed Under: Blog, Collaborative Conversation, Mental Health Issues

Mental Health Professional: Children’s Best Asset in Collaborative Divorce

November 20, 2017 By Dr. Honey Sheff

counselor

The MHP is neutral.  That is an essential component of the mental health professional’s power in the collaborative divorce process.  That said, if I’m on anyone’s “side,” it would be have to be that of the kids. My goal is to enable their parents to make the most informed decisions and to learn how to communicate and resolve conflict moving forward so that they can be the best co-parents that … [Read more...] about Mental Health Professional: Children’s Best Asset in Collaborative Divorce

Filed Under: Benefits of Team Approach, Blog, Collaborative Conversation, Mental Health Issues

Why Does Collaborative Divorce Need a Mental Health Professional on the Team?

November 18, 2017 By Dr. Honey Sheff

dispute

The Mental Health Professional (MHP) manages the collaborative divorce process much like an emcee does any large-scale event, handling many moving parts to help create an outcome that is goal driven and designed to meet the clients’ needs. He or she facilitates the process that empowers adults undergoing divorce to structure a customized, individualized plan tailor made to move their family … [Read more...] about Why Does Collaborative Divorce Need a Mental Health Professional on the Team?

Filed Under: Benefits of Team Approach, Blog, Collaborative Conversation, Mental Health Issues

Benefits of Using a Financial Professional in Collaborative Divorce

September 11, 2017 By Hunter Nibert, CPA

In the team approach of collaborative divorce, the Neutral Financial Professional (FP) can be an enormous asset. Instead of each client paying the billing rate for his or her family lawyer to work up their financials separately (the protocol in litigation), the collaborative team has only one financial player, so only one fee to be split between the clients.  Additionally, the FP is a financial … [Read more...] about Benefits of Using a Financial Professional in Collaborative Divorce

Filed Under: Benefits of Team Approach, Blog, Collaborative Conversation

What is a Neutral Financial Professional in Collaborative Divorce?

September 11, 2017 By Hunter Nibert, CPA

finances

Within the collaborative divorce process, in addition to each client engaging their own divorce attorney, two “neutral professionals” round out the team to reach a divorce settlement amenable to both parties: a mental health professional (MHP) and a neutral financial professional (FP).  For this post, we will focus on the financial professional: who he or she is, what he or she does, and why he or … [Read more...] about What is a Neutral Financial Professional in Collaborative Divorce?

Filed Under: Benefits of Team Approach, Blog, Collaborative Conversation

How Collaborative Law Differs from Mediation

July 16, 2017 By Carie Silvestri

puzzle pieces

Critics of collaborative divorce argue that the majority of cases settle before trial anyway, often at mediation, so why risk having to withdraw from the case if a settlement is not reached?  Why would any lawyer sign an agreement compelling withdrawal from representation if the case ends up in court (as the collaborative divorce process requires)?  For someone who is unfamiliar with collaborative … [Read more...] about How Collaborative Law Differs from Mediation

Filed Under: Benefits of Team Approach, Blog, Collaborative Conversation, No Case too Complex

How Collaborative Divorce Has Made Me a Better Lawyer

June 9, 2017 By Carie Silvestri

agreement

It isn’t a touchy-feely job title: divorce attorney.  Law school training sets a certain scene: a courtroom, a winner, a loser. The attorney’s job is to find evidence of wrongdoing from the opponent and to form an argument to prove their client is innocent.  In this inherently adversarial process, attorneys do not make friends of the “other side.”  For many areas of practice, such as insurance … [Read more...] about How Collaborative Divorce Has Made Me a Better Lawyer

Filed Under: Benefits of Team Approach, Blog, Collaborative Conversation

What does Advocacy Look Like for the Attorney in the Collaborative Divorce Process?

April 26, 2017 By Jody L. Johnson

Litigation and Collaborative Divorce models both involve significant negotiation. Most litigation cases end in a negotiated settlement prior to trial, but the negotiation is frequently under the pressure of looming deadlines, such as temporary hearings, depositions and other discovery deadlines, mediation, and the trial date. The court system is in control, negotiation feels pressured, and it may … [Read more...] about What does Advocacy Look Like for the Attorney in the Collaborative Divorce Process?

Filed Under: Blog, Mental Health Issues, No Case too Complex

Top Ten to Consider Before Talking Collaborative Divorce with your Spouse

April 11, 2017 By Julie Quaid

1. Choose with Care the Time to Talk Do not bring up divorce a.) at the end of a difficult day for either of you and/or b.) in front of your children, ever! A “state of readiness” exists when it comes to divorce.  Spouses are rarely in the same spot at the same time. One or the other may need to move more slowly than anticipated when adjusting to the shock of a new reality.  Collaborative … [Read more...] about Top Ten to Consider Before Talking Collaborative Divorce with your Spouse

Filed Under: Blog, Collaborative Conversation

Transitions: How Do We Feel Safe in Times of Change?

April 3, 2017 By Julie Quaid

Most people are uncomfortable with and adverse to major life change.  This is human nature.  It is not surprising that when people face separation and impending divorce, they grapple with disorientation, disillusionment, and even outright fear.  With the reality of an uncertain future, vulnerable and off-kilter, perception is often a sense of being without protection. Communications can register … [Read more...] about Transitions: How Do We Feel Safe in Times of Change?

Filed Under: Blog, Collaborative Conversation, Mental Health Issues

What Exactly Is a “Collaborative Divorce Professional”?

March 22, 2017 By Jody L. Johnson

Good question. Over the past few years, over countless hours, Texas proudly becomes the first state to develop a methodology for recognizing collaborative professionals who have attained the highest standards of collaborative practice.  The focus of the work has been to offer the public a peer-recognized means for evaluating the skill set of collaborative professionals to help potential clients … [Read more...] about What Exactly Is a “Collaborative Divorce Professional”?

Filed Under: Benefits of Team Approach, Blog, Collaborative Conversation

Spice Up, Enthuse, and Reignite Your Collaborative Practice Group

March 9, 2017 By Douglas Harrison

As practice groups “age,” the enthusiasm of its members often declines.  This can be reversed with a clear sense of awareness of the occurrence and a focused attention for solutions. The mission and goals of the group must be thoroughly and specifically articulated.  Begin with a simple question.   “What do we want?”  Is it increased referral sources, opportunities for additional education? Is … [Read more...] about Spice Up, Enthuse, and Reignite Your Collaborative Practice Group

Filed Under: Benefits of Team Approach, Blog, Collaborative Conversation

Divorce Options, Attorney Obligations, and the Light at the End of the Tunnel

February 25, 2017 By Douglas Harrison

I’ve practiced divorce law for more than forty years.  Just go with me here.  A useful phrase to employ when consulting with someone in the throes of divorce is “temporary insanity.” Not that these people are certifiable, of course—though that soon to be ex-spouse might have you think otherwise.  And that’s part of the issue.  The emotional upheaval and sense of loss that surround the process can … [Read more...] about Divorce Options, Attorney Obligations, and the Light at the End of the Tunnel

Filed Under: Benefits of Team Approach, Blog

Why Interest-Based Negotiations are a Cornerstone to Collaboration

January 31, 2017 By Larry Hance

Collaborative divorce has at its roots the idea of interest-based negotiation. Robert Fisher’s foundational book from 1981, Getting to Yes, sets forth the idea of what he termed “principled negotiation.”  The idea is, when a person knows what is a fixed need and what is a flexible need, he or she can enter a negotiation with a clear frame of reference as to what is absolutely necessary, or … [Read more...] about Why Interest-Based Negotiations are a Cornerstone to Collaboration

Filed Under: Blog, Collaborative Conversation

The Good Lawyer, The Junkyard Dog, and Why Collaborative May Just Be Your Answer

January 30, 2017 By Larry Hance

After thirty plus years of experience—former family law judge, current family law attorney—my grasp of what it means to be a “good lawyer” has evolved.  Being a good lawyer can be tricky. In divorce law, in particular, the definition of “good” deserves scrutiny. Emotionally, financially, and legally, divorce is scary.  Many clients make life-altering decisions from an unconscious place of fear: … [Read more...] about The Good Lawyer, The Junkyard Dog, and Why Collaborative May Just Be Your Answer

Filed Under: Blog, Collaborative Conversation

The Collaborative Attorney’s Client Guide to Surviving the Holidays

December 27, 2016 By Melinda Eitzen

1.) Create new traditions. One spouse is often more despondent about the breakup than the other.   During the holidays, the impact of divorce for this spouse can feel a bit like a sledgehammer.  He or she may lament the holiday family traditions that will be no longer.   Beware of stepping into this pothole by actively creating new holiday traditions.  Google “what to do over the holidays in … [Read more...] about The Collaborative Attorney’s Client Guide to Surviving the Holidays

Filed Under: Blog, Collaborative Conversation

The Gift of Collaboration

December 19, 2016 By Melinda Eitzen

Whether a couple is in the throes of divorce proceedings or contemplating marriage dissolution, holiday months arrive as a potent reminder. Holidays can become occasion for some to look closer: at what they have, what they do not have, and what they stand to lose. If divorce is complicated—and that is usually an understatement—divorce that involves kids can be overwrought with emotional landmines. … [Read more...] about The Gift of Collaboration

Filed Under: Benefits of Team Approach, Blog, Collaborative Conversation

Certification Key to Collaborative Success

November 3, 2016 By Carla Calabrese

A challenging aspect to the collaborative divorce practice is the lack of expertise displayed in numerous attorneys participating in collaborative cases. At this point, any family lawyer can decide to dabble: but if the collaborative case doesn’t settle, the ripple effect greatly damages the overall process. The probability of a case terminating because it cannot reach settlement directly … [Read more...] about Certification Key to Collaborative Success

Filed Under: Blog, Collaborative Conversation

Collaborative Process for Business, Too

August 25, 2009 By admin

Collaboration is gaining ground in legal areas aside from family law, and that’s heartening for all who seek a healthier, more successful method of dispute resolution. In the Sept-Oct issue of Dallas CEO Magazine, respected Dallas attorney John G. Browning writes about the benefits of Collaboration, offering an insightful and lucid discussion of the process. Noting that the Collaborative Law … [Read more...] about Collaborative Process for Business, Too

Filed Under: Blog

Improve Communications with Collaboration

August 10, 2009 By Linda Solomon

Collaborative Divorce encourages open communication. It creates a chance to begin healing, by talking, with one another and the collaborative team. Granted, it’s ironic, since communication is often a primary area of stress in any marriage. But that’s why the Neutral Mental Health professional is so critical and productive in the Collaborative process. In many cases, the collaborative … [Read more...] about Improve Communications with Collaboration

Filed Under: Blog, Collaborative Conversation

Team Approach Provides Tangible Results

August 5, 2009 By Paula Larsen

Collaborative Divorce is truly a team effort. Both spouses have their own Collaborative attorney, as well as counsel from neutral professionals in Mental Health and Financial Planning. Why is the whole team critical to success? Because divorce is more than a single legal transaction. It’s a whole-life change. That means divorcing couples need assistance with three significant needs: emotional, … [Read more...] about Team Approach Provides Tangible Results

Filed Under: Benefits of Team Approach, Blog

Traditional Divorce & the Issues for Children

July 29, 2009 By Gay G. Cox

Psychological researchers stress the negative effects on children of contentious divorce. It’s no wonder that when parents engage in protracted litigation, the children can’t help but be emotionally disturbed by their parents’ fight. Children of traditional divorce experience these unhappy truths: 1. Parents forget their number one job–being a parent. They become preoccupied with their … [Read more...] about Traditional Divorce & the Issues for Children

Filed Under: Blog, Mental Health Issues

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The 4 A.M. Brain Bounce Syndrome – (BBS)

October 23, 2018 By Bob Matlock

On occasion the malady I refer to as “The 4 A.M. Brain Bounce Syndrome” (BBS) launches a cerebral onslaught that robs me of sound sleep, pumps up my frustration level and escalates my blood pressure. … [Read More...]

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