Divorce Redefined:The Collaborative Process

Front row: Nella Ciciulla Albrecht, Diana Figueroa, Michele Biecker, Michelle Meulke, Lindsey Wood, Rita Medaglio-Barrera.
Back row: Billie Jo Hopwood, Julie Glocker Pierce, Joan Nassar, Tiffany Loris, Valerie Weaver, Clay Morgan.
Some couples approach divorce with a shared vision, working together to resolve their legal matters peacefully and amicably. For others, there may be significant differences in how they see what’s fair or best for their family. When spouses can’t agree on how to move forward, professional guidance and the legal system can play an essential role in helping them reach a resolution. While traditional litigation is one way to resolve conflicts, it often turns the divorce into a long, emotionally draining battle. In these cases, it’s a judge — not the couple — who makes the final decisions. Litigation can be time-consuming, expensive, and stressful for everyone involved, and may complicate things further if children are part of the equation.
However, there is a more positive and empowering option: collaborative divorce. This approach offers a cooperative and constructive way for couples to resolve contested issues without stepping into a courtroom. In a collaborative divorce, both spouses and their attorneys come together as a team, with the added support of neutral professionals, including financial experts and mental health specialists. These professionals bring valuable expertise to the table-helping to address financial concerns and facilitating open, productive communication between the spouses. Through a series of private meetings, the couple can work together to create their own solutions, instead of relying on a judge’s ruling. As Joan Berry Nassar, a member of the Brevard Collaborative Association, explains, “With collaborative divorce, the couple and their attorneys act as a team, not as adversaries.”
One of the greatest benefits of collaborative divorce is the speed and flexibility it offers.
The process can unfold at the couple’s own pace, often taking only a few months rather than the years a traditional court case can stretch on. It’s also generally more affordable than litigation, making it an appealing choice for many couples. The collaborative approach is rapidly growing in popularity.
The Brevard Collaborative Association [www.brevardcollaborative.com], founded in 2018 to educate professionals and promote the process, offers a directory of over 30 professionals-attorneys, financial experts, and mental health specialists-who are trained to guide couples through this process.
Nassar emphasizes that this shift in mindset can be transformative. “These professionals are trained in problem-solving, conflict resolution, negotiation, and advocacy,” she explains. Because not all attorneys are trained in the collaborative method, couples should carefully choose professionals who practice this approach.
Even for those already navigating a litigated divorce, it’s not too late to change course.
Cases currently in the court system can often be converted to a collaborative divorce, allowing couples to minimize conflict, avoid the unpredictability of court outcomes, and take greater control over the process. If you’re looking to reduce the stress of divorce, improve communication, and make decisions that are best for you and your family’s future, collaborative divorce may be the ideal solution.