The groundbreaking alternative for the millions of couples with children who face divorce each year—couples who want to avoid litigation, but don’t want to give up on getting what they want. Even under the best circumstances, divorce can be marked by a range of painful emotions. But research now reveals that how a couple conducts themselves during a divorce has far greater impact on their children than the act of divorcing itself. Groundbreaking and revolutionary, The Collaborative Way to Divorce is the first guide to the Collaborative process, a nationally acclaimed approach based on the concept that both spouses hire legal representation, yet agree to resolve their differences with no intention of ever going to court. Stressing cooperation over confrontation and resolution over revenge, Collaborative divorce is fast transforming how couples dissolve their marriages, divide their assets, and reinvent their post-divorce relationships, particularly when they have children. Written by Stu Webb, the founder of the Collaborative law movement and Ron Ousky, an early pioneer of the process, The Collaborative Way to Divorce guides you through the steps of the Collaborative process so that you can make better, more informed, and more strategic decisions—resulting in a win-win outcome for you and your spouse.

The groundbreaking alternative for the millions of couples with children who face divorce each year—couples who want to avoid litigation, but don’t want to give up on getting what they want. Even under the best circumstances, divorce can be marked by a range of painful emotions. But research now reveals that how a couple conducts themselves during a divorce has far greater impact on their children than the act of divorcing itself. Groundbreaking and revolutionary, The Collaborative Way to Divorce is the first guide to the Collaborative process, a nationally acclaimed approach based on the concept that both spouses hire legal representation, yet agree to resolve their differences with no intention of ever going to court. Stressing cooperation over confrontation and resolution over revenge, Collaborative divorce is fast transforming how couples dissolve their marriages, divide their assets, and reinvent their post-divorce relationships, particularly when they have children. Written by Stu Webb, the founder of the Collaborative law movement and Ron Ousky, an early pioneer of the process, The Collaborative Way to Divorce guides you through the steps of the Collaborative process so that you can make better, more informed, and more strategic decisions—resulting in a win-win outcome for you and your spouse.

In Divorce the Collaborative Way. Is It the Way For You? three divorce professionals – a family law attorney, a mental health professional and a financial planner – share their knowledge and insights about the collaborative divorce process with divorcing couples in order to help them decide if the collaborative process is right for them. Using real life examples to illustrate key points, Divorce the Collaborative Way. Describes the different options couples have for getting divorced. Discusses in detail the features and advantages of a collaborative divorce. Highlights the roles and responsibilities of each spouse in a collaborative divorce. Explains the various roles that the members of a couple’s collaborative divorce team – their attorneys and the neutral mental health and financial professionals – will play in their collaborative divorce. Guides readers through the collaborative divorce process from start to finish. Divorce the Collaborative Way also features an appendix of collaborative divorce agreements, forms, and worksheets.

Helping all professionals - lawyers, mental health professionals, financial neutrals, etc. - who practice in the area of Collaborative Divorce, this book explains how marital dynamics (both conscious and unconscious), combined with the traumas of the divorce as well as those from previous situations, will be re-enacted within the Collaborative process. This enlightening book integrates elements of effective psychotherapy into the Collaborative process, although its lessons can be as easily applied to divorce cases handled through litigation and mediation.

Can you really have a civilized divorce without an expensive and stressful court battle? Ending a marriage is always difficult, but it doesn’t need to be fraught with financial or emotional conflict. This book guides you through a negotiated divorce, using alternatives to court, such as divorce mediation or a new approach called, "collaborative divorce."

Forrest S. Mosten Collaborative Divorce Handbook Helping families without going to court Praise for Collaborative Divorce Handbook "There are many roads to peace. Whether you engage in collaborative practice, which by definition includes the provision that professionals will not represent the parties in litigation, or some other process for respectful conflict resolution, you will find Collaborative Divorce Handbook to be an invaluable resource for deepening your understanding and enhancing your skills as a peacemaker." Talia L. Katz, JD, executive director, International Academy of Collaborative Professionals "Collaborative lawyering is a promising new way of resolving disputes through joint problem solving rather than adversary litigation that has particular appeal for divorce cases. Whether you are a client who seeks to learn more about it or a lawyer using it who desires a wise guiding hand, this book is an invaluable resource." Frank E. A. Sander, Bussey Professor Emeritus, Harvard Law School "Written by one of the innovative thinkers in the field, Collaborative Divorce Handbook is a treasure of information for all professionals interested in collaborative divorce. Easy to read, expansive, and chock-full of resources, it is bound to become a classic." Constance Ahrons, PhD, author, The Good Divorce and We're Still Family, and professor emerita, University of Southern California "Family law is changing. As more people realize that the adversarial process is expensive, degrading, and stressful, they look for alternatives and find it in various forms of alternative dispute resolution. Woody Mosten is the nationally recognized leader of this movement, and his book on collaborative practice literally will be 'The Handbook' we will all follow." Garrett C. Dailey, Esq., CFLS, AAML, president, Attorney's BriefCase, Inc.

This unique new handbook explains this emerging dispute resolution model of collaborative law that is helping family lawyers bring their clients through the divorce passage with integrity and satisfaction. Collaborative Law describes how this approach engages the unique problem-solving skills of lawyers to achieve settlements that creatively and appropriately customize outcomes in the way that few courts are able to achieve. In the collaborative process, fees and costs are minimized, high-quality legal counsel and negotiating assistance are built in, and the ability of divorcing spouses to cooperate and coparent is maximized to a dramatic extent.