THE PROCESS

OPEN COMMUNICATION

Even under the best of circumstances, communication can be strained as a relationship ends. Yet keeping the lines of communication open is essential for reaching an agreement. Collaborative Practice provides for face-to-face meetings with you, your spouse, your respective lawyers and your team as needed. These sessions are intended to produce an honest exchange of information and expression of needs and expectations. When the issues are openly discussed, problem solving can be direct and solutions-oriented. Here is what your team could look like:

  • COLLABORATIVE
    LAWYER

Though Collaborative Practice seeks to avoid going to court, the settlement is still a legal agreement. Therefore, it is essential that each of you has a lawyer to advise you on all matters of law, from child custody and support to maintenance agreements to financial and property distribution. Collaborative lawyers have made a commitment to the unique practice of the collaborative model.

  • DIVORCE
  • COACH

Divorce is a major life transition; while it marks the end of one part of your life, it is also the beginning of another. A mental health professional helps you manage the pain and strain of changing relationships, while focusing on goals for the present and the future. Working with you to make the most of your strengths, your mental health professional assists you in being at your best during the divorce process, then taking positive steps to a new life.

  • FINANCIAL
  • SPECIALIST

The divorce settlement will in part determine your financial well-being for many years to come. It is critical that it be soundly structured, especially if your spouse assumed more responsibility for your family's finances. The guidance of a financial specialist will help protect your interests. Reviewing all assets and incomes, the financial specialist will assist you in analyzing viable financial options for your future. Evaluating the choices, you and your lawyer can then construct a comprehensive plan for the next stage of your life.

  • CHILD
  • SPECIALIST

Children may suffer most from divorce, and be least able to understand or express their feelings. Their world is being turned upside down in ways that they cannot begin to comprehend. Communication with parents may be difficult, if not impossible. A goal of Collaborative Practice is to assure that children are a priority, not a casualty. The child specialist, an individual skilled in understanding children, will meet with your children privately, assisting them in expressing their feelings and concerns about the divorce. Encouraging children to think creatively about the future, the child specialist then communicates their feelings, concerns and hopes to the team to consider when planning for the children's lives.

I'm Ready to Begin

Though Collaborative Practice seeks to avoid going to court, the settlement is still a legal agreement.Therefore, it is essential that each of you has a lawyer to advise you on all matters of law, from child custody and support to maintenance agreements to financial and property distribution.Collaborative lawyers have made a commitment to the unique practice of the collaborative model.

Divorce is a major life transition; while it marks the end of one part of your life, it is also the beginning of another. A mental health professional helps you manage the pain and strain of changing relationships, while focusing on goals for the present and the future. Working with you to make the most of your strengths, your mental health professional assists you in being at your best during the divorce process, then taking positive steps to a new life.

The divorce settlement will in part determine your financial well-being for many years to come. It is critical that it be soundly structured, especially if your spouse assumed more responsibility for your family's finances. The guidance of a financial specialist will help protect your interests. Reviewing all assets and incomes, the financial specialist will assist you in analyzing viable financial options for your future. Evaluating the choices, you and your lawyer can then construct a comprehensive plan for the next stage of your life.

Children may suffer most from divorce, and be least able to understand or express their feelings. Their world is being turned upside down in ways that they cannot begin to comprehend. Communication with parents may be difficult, if not impossible. A goal of Collaborative Practice is to assure that children are a priority, not a casualty. The child specialist, an individual skilled in understanding children, will meet with your children privately, assisting them in expressing their feelings and concerns about the divorce. Encouraging children to think creatively about the future, the child specialist then communicates their feelings, concerns and hopes to the team to consider when planning for the children's lives.

SELECT A COLLABORATIVE PRACTICE

THAT WORKS BEST FOR YOU

Virginia Collaborative Professionals (VaCP) is a non-profit association of attorneys, mental health, and financial professionals organized into geographic practice groups within the state of Virginia. We are dedicated to resolving family and civil matters without litigation. Using the Collaborative Process, VaCP interdisciplinary teams offer the support, protection and legal guidance necessary to handle disputes within an atmosphere of mutual respect.

I’m Ready to Begin

Contact a collaborative Professional

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