What is the Association?
The Association is a membership organization in D.P.O. and West Co NY that provides training for collaborative professionals and provides an opportunity for lawyers, mental health and financial professionals to develop and enhance collaborative practice.
Serving clients in the Dutchess, Putnam, Orange and Westchester, New York, the Hudson Valley Collaborative Divorce & Dispute Resolution Association provides extensive support throughout the collaborative divorce process.
Offering a Different Approach
Collaborative Divorce offers couples an opportunity to end a marriage with a minimal amount of bitterness and animosity. Rather than undergoing costly court battles, the two parties work together to address the details of the divorce with the guidance of lawyers, mental health professionals and a neutral financial advisor. Each party is assisted by a lawyer and a divorce coach to guide them through the process. The team works collaboratively with the couple to reach agreements regarding:
- Division of Property
- Child & Spousal Support
- Co-Parenting Plan
- Children's Living Arrangements
- Tax implications
The collaborative approach offers the benefits of creating agreements that are mutually beneficial to both parties and the family as a whole.
The Collaborative Divorce Team
Collaborative divorce proceedings offer each party the benefit of supportive and experienced guidance throughout the process of coming to decisions relating to various issues. Working through the process is made easier with the assistance of a team of professionals, including:
- Legal professionals: Committed to the cooperative resolution of all issues, the attorneys facilitate negotiations while protecting their client's legal rights and offering comprehensive advice on all legal issues faced. The attorneys agree they will not go t court but will work with the couple to reach agreement.
- Mental health professionals: Helping each spouse develop skills and self-mastery so they may participate effectively in collaborative negotiations, mental health professionals provide the support needed for each party to develop sound strategies for co-parenting while learning to address future issues reasonably.
- Financial specialist: In an effort to provide direction and assistance in gathering financial material, both parties employ one neutral financial specialist to help in designing realistic budgets and plans for distribution of assets and debts to allow the parties to be sure their long term needs are met.
- Child specialist: Child specialists work to provide an objective assessment of children's needs while offering recommendations on parenting plans. The child specialist also works to help the children express their own concerns during the proceedings.
Limited to divorce professionals with specific training in collaborative resolution of disputes, membership in the collaborative divorce team is contingent upon specialized training and a thorough understanding of the process and the needs of the parties involved.
Contact one of our legal, mental health, or financial professionals today.
