Collaborative Divorce: What a Surprise and a Relief

Collaborative Divorce:  What a Surprise and a Relief!

Lynne Santiago, PhD, LMHC

A couples of weeks ago I attended a two day training on Collaborative Divorce.  My co-attendees were a mix of lawyers, financial advisors and mental health professional.  The training really opened my eyes.  And I was so relieved to learn that there was a better way for married couples to un-couple.

I had no idea what a Collaborative Divorce was until I recently met a family lawyer based out of Tampa, FL  who provides the service.  Joryn Jenkins was eager to educate me.  To my surprise, I learned that the Collaborative Divorce model  fits perfectly with ideas I speak of about Conscious Partings.  



As a Relationship Counselor, my number one goal is to help couples heal, rebuild and strengthen their relationships.  But unfortunately, and even despite genuine efforts, some relationships can not be saved.  And when the relationship was bonded legally through marriage, it takes legal actions to undo the bond.



We have all heard the term “nasty divorce”.  You probably know someone—perhaps even yourself—who had a divorce that fits that description. Didn’t you think “What a shame!!”.  Two people who once loved each other, worked to create a life together, maybe had children together were then in a battle as they fought to win the money, house, cars, and the children.  It becomes who can out do the other.  Once loving, they become mean and vengeful.  Some will spend outrageous amounts of money to have a lawyer do the battle for them.  And the divorce process drags out over months and even years.

I already knew it doesn’t have to be that way if each person is  able to become aware of how fear hijacked them and made them act in ways that were unloving and destructive.  But now it is great to learn that there are lawyers who believe this as well and choose not to engage in a competition to see who can win the case.  



If you are wanting to end your marriage in a peaceful way and avoid a ‘nasty’ divorce I urge you to look into the Collaborative Divorce model.  You may be just as surprised as I was.

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE COLLABORATIVE DIVORCE MODEL VISIT THE INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF COLLABORATIVE PROFESSIONALS WEBSITE

Click for International Association of Collaborative Professionals
https://www.collaborativepractice.com/

LEARN MORE ABOUT JORYN JENKINS, ESQ
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