Collaborative Practice

What is Collaborative Practice?

The Collaborative Practice model of marital dissolution is transforming the experience of divorce for families across the country and Santa Cruz County is no exception to this national trend. Couples who had only the adversarial process of Family Court available to them now have a unique opportunity to end their marriages with respect and integrity.

Collaborative Practice uses a team approach to interact with families, as opposed to the polarized “one attorney per person” model utilized in years past.

Collaborative Practice divides the process into separate, function-specific categories (e.g. law, psychological issues, finances, custody) and assigns specialized professionals to assist with each function.

Collaborative Practice team members use their targeted skills and perspectives to offer specialized counsel to divorcing parties.

Collaborative teams address the unique needs of each couple or family and provide a safe and structured environment that allows for maximum creativity in developing unique solutions and outcomes. A neutral environment allows both the team and the clients to move beyond a “Hattfield and McCoys” mentality and to create Marital Settlement Agreements that are free from coercion and exploitation.

In the words of one of the leaders of the international Collaborative Practice movement, “I’ll work as hard for your client as I will for mine. If both parties aren’t extremely satisfied with the outcome, then we haven’t done our jobs correctly.”

Collaborative Practice Santa Cruz

Collaborative Practice Santa Cruz is changing the way families experience divorce. A strong team of committed professionals has worked to build a process that is both user-friendly and effective. We have made significant improvements for families in transition and offer services that are unique in our community. There really is a “kinder and gentler” way when it comes to divorce and it’s our privilege to be a part of that reality. For more information, our web address is: www.Collaborativepracticesantacruz.com