The Collaborative Divorce Team

The Neutral Role

The Value of Specialties

The Value of a Team

Custom-fit

The Neutral Role

In Collaborative Divorce, non-lawyer professionals on the team are called ‘neutrals’ because they work for both clients, whereas attorneys advocate for only one client.

In a tough case, tensions can rise between the two clients—and sometimes the two attorneys (on behalf of their clients). Neutrals try to stay outside the fray and stabilize the case. Think of a boat rocking in windy waves kept steady by the heavy weights in the boat’s hull.

The Value of Specialties

Collaborative Divorce benefits from having people who have experience and expertise in one or more of four main areas: facilitation, financial, legal, and parenting.

Neutral team members may help clients save money because they generally have lower hourly rates than attorneys and may be the  most effective professional within their particular area of expertise.

Clients often find neutrals’ opinions to be very credible because they have specialized knowledge and don’t take sides.

For more information on the role of each professional, see the descriptions in the section Find a Professional.

The Value of a Team

The team always contains two lawyers, and usually, one or two neutrals. While lawyers serve as advocates, they also play an important role as team members.

A well-functioning team can help clients get to agreement sooner than a more divided team. The more challenging the case, the more cohesive and coordinated the team needs to be.

The neutral role is critical for keeping the team in good shape and for addressing client, team and whole group challenges as soon as they occur.

Custom-Fit

The goal is to find an ideal fit between the needs of the case and the composition of the team.