We blog about helping Long Island families to resolve conflicts in the most productive ways possible.
May 5, 2019BY: Neil CahnIN: Children and Parenting Issues,The Collaborative Team
On May 2, 2019, ten years after his divorce, John McElhenney wrote an online letter to his 16-year old daughter for the Good Men Project, expressing his regrets at losing “huge chunks of life with her” as a result of his collaborative divorce. But that was not a Collaborative Divorce. He tells his daughter, “as […]
Mar 4, 2017BY: Nancy KayeIN: The Collaborative Team
Angelina Jolie has started to talk about the stress of her divorce with Brad Pitt and how they are going through the process. Angelina’s goals for her family are much the same as they are with Collaborative Divorce. As reported in the Los Angeles Times, Jolie said, “We are a family, and we always will […]
Nov 27, 2016BY: Neil GrossmanIN: After the Divorce,The Collaborative Team
I’m at Thanksgiving Dinner with my family and it’s so sad because my kids aren’t here. This is the first Thanksgiving Holiday since the divorce, and it’s my ex-spouse’s year for the kids. This got me thinking what I am thankful for about the divorce. I’m so happy we were able to agree on getting […]
Jun 10, 2016BY: Neil CahnIN: Finances and the Financial Neutral,The Collaborative Team
In his April, 2016 column for Forbes, Avoid the Financial Pitfalls of Divorce, Certified Financial Planner Michael F. Kay notes that financial planning at the time of divorce may be “the key to safely navigating this life transition.” He also notes that good financial decision-making and emotions rarely mix well. Divorce litigation does not generally […]
May 30, 2016BY: Roxane PolakIN: Children and Parenting Issues,Emotions and the Family Specialist,The Collaborative Team
Experienced practitioners of Collaborative Divorce understand the important contributions made by a Family Specialist (also called a “Divorce Coach”) during the process. They maintain a respectful tone, facilitate communications, counsel couples about parenting plans that cater to a child’s developmental requirements, the needs and well-being of their family, assist with co-parenting issues, and manage the […]
May 23, 2016BY: Neil CahnIN: Is Collaborative for You?,The Collaborative Team
Florida Attorney, Robert J. Merlin, in his South Florida Business Journal column, “Divorce doesn’t necessarily mean the destruction of a family business,” noted that the Collaborative Process could be the best way for married owners of a business to handle their divorce. He pointed out that financial records would be kept private, with interruptions to the business […]
May 16, 2016BY: Neil CahnIN: Collaboration or Litigation or Mediation,Is Collaborative for You?,The Collaborative Team
In his May 1, 2016 column in Forbes / Personal Finance, What I Wish I Knew Before My Divorce, Michael Smith states, “as a guy who has gone through a divorce, I always feel a special need to help those who are about to go through that process or who have gone through it and […]
Apr 9, 2016BY: Nancy KayeIN: Collaboration or Litigation or Mediation,The Collaborative Team
I recently attended a Collaborative study session where the attorneys were discussing the benefits of Collaborative Divorces compared to litigated divorces. It reminded me of a baseball game. In litigation, the client directs the attorney by stating: “I want this, I need this, get me this.” The client is like a catcher” in the baseball […]
Mar 23, 2016BY: Roxane PolakIN: The Collaborative Team,What is Collaborative Divorce?
The best way to explain how Collaborative Divorce works – and the value of this team approach – is to share a real case study. Sue* and John*, the parents of two children, were married for ten years when John told Sue he had an affair and wanted a divorce. He moved out and then […]
Nov 1, 2015BY: Roxane PolakIN: Children and Parenting Issues,The Collaborative Team,What is Collaborative Divorce?
The parents of Amy* (age 14) and Nick* (age 10) are using the Collaborative Divorce process. Putting a Child Specialist on the collaborative team was suggested because of the parents’ disagreement over Amy’s and Nick’s needs. Mom thought Dad was too indulgent and not attentive enough to safety. She insisted on meeting all of Amy’s […]