When couples make the decision to get divorced, they are generally only familiar with traditional litigation. They may be totally unaware of a collaborative divorce process. They may express concerns about whether the process will work for them.
While there are some potential red flags that collaborative professionals keep an eye out for, most can be worked through when the person’s concerns are addressed.
Here are 3 Potential Red Flags:
- A spouse says they do not want to be in the same room with their soon-to-be ex. A person may express concerns about being in the same room with their spouse and working with that person without feeling intimidated or bullied. This is only a potential red flag because clients generally benefit from the coaching they get in the collaborative process.
With professional assistance, they learn to have their voice heard and how to communicate their needs. They learn to cooperate with their spouse, which is vital if they have children and will need to communicate with each other for their entire future. - One spouse has a lot of anger and a desire to fight. If the person is willing to work with the mental health professionals in the Collaborative Divorce process, the professional can help them figure out why the fight is there. Are they still hurting? They get the support and insight they need to move forward. They learn to communicate and to come to their own settlement agreement instead of fighting with their spouse, each trying to be the winner as occurs in traditional litigation.
- One person appears to want to control the process. The couple together has control of the Collaborative Divorce process. Together, they control when they meet, what topics will be discussed at each meeting, and how to work together to draft their final settlement agreement.
Red Flags are warnings about challenges that that may be ahead. Collaborative Professionals are trained to spot those red flags and help navigate through those challenges with a result of a better divorce settlement for both parties.
Learn More About Collaborative Divorce
When you learn more about Collaborative Divorce, how to manage your divorce, and how it affords you privacy and time to heal, you may decide it is the divorce method for you. For more information about a collaborative divorce and whether it will work for you, contact Collaborative Practice California.