What Happens At The First Team Meeting In a Collaborative Divorce?
May 15, 2023 | Collaborative Divorce, mindful divorce
By: Chad Layton, Esq.
This is where the rubber meets the road.
This is our first opportunity to sit down together as a team and begin working on the issues, obstacles, and goals that are unique to your family. This is where we set the table for the process that will help you to obtain a peaceful, private and respectful divorce.
You choose peace and respect over fighting and waste.
Here is a brief outline of our first team meeting:
- Participation Agreement: You, your collaborative divorce attorney, your spouse, and his/her collaborative divorce attorney all sign the participation agreement. This binds all of us to the collaborative process. It also guarantees that the attorneys cannot go to court and fight. We must be peacemakers and problem solvers for you. We must use our powers for good.
- Shared Goals & Values: In collaborative divorce, you and your spouse will have a voice. You will maintain control over your own divorce. You will not give up control to lawyers and judges. We will start your collaborative divorce by listening to you. We will create a list with you to memorialize what your most important goals and concerns are in your divorce. Next, we will go through this exercise with your husband or wife. We will identify areas that you and your spouse have shared goals and values, and areas that you do not.
- Roadmap of The Process: Next, we will review with you and your spouse what additional information is needed and how we can help you to gather this information. We will also discuss a proposed order, and timeline of how we will address each of the issues in your divorce with you. Next, we will discuss the option building process with you and how it works to help you reach resolutions that are consistent with your values and goals. Additionally, we will discuss the process that we will use to finalize your divorce, and how we will obtain an uncontested final judgment of divorce on your behalf.
At the conclusion of the meeting, we will finalize our plan for the next steps and we will set a date for your next collaborative divorce team meeting.
If you, or a friend of yours, has questions about collaborative divorce in Palm Beach County, we are here to help.
Chad Layton, Esq.
(561) 537-8227
Office Located At:
205 Worth Ave.
Suite 303
Palm Beach, FL 33480
Phone (561) 537-8227
Office E-Mail: Chad@mindfuldivorcepa.com
Office Website: https://www.mindfuldivorcepa.com