Conscious Uncoupling - Divorcing the Collaborative Way

When Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin announced they were having a conscious uncoupling it made more couples think about divorcing in a more collaborative way.

Many family lawyers now see going to court to be unsuitable and can often cause long-term irreparable emotional damage to the couple and their children, as well as being unnecessarily expensive. There are an increasing number of lawyers in the UK that see the way forward as resolving issues through the collaborative law process (also known as collaborative practice).

This is a legal process which enables couples who have decided to divorce or separate to work with collaboratively trained lawyers such as Simon Mortimer and Katie Wright and other professionals to achieve a settlement that best meets the needs of the couple and their family.

At the outset, the couple make a “no court commitment” and agree to resolve issues by sitting round a table with their collaborative lawyer by their side. This means there can be no threat of “see you in court” and the collaborative “team” comprising the couple, their lawyers and possibly other professionals, such as family consultants or Independent financial advisers, have to work together and be creative, to reach a tailor-made solution for that particular family.

With the collaborative process, the couple keep control. Ideally where there are children, it also means they retain a positive relationship going forward which is likely to be more supportive for the children at a very stressful time in their lives.

Financial security for the family as a whole is often one of the key areas of concerns when a relationship breaks down. There are likely to be concerns about how long money will last; will assets need to be sold and how will each party manage financially on their own? Bringing a financial planner to the collaborative table means there can be open discussions about these issues and expectations in a supportive environment.

If you would like further information regarding divorce and separation and Collaborative law please don’t hesitate to contact Simon Mortimer or Katie Wright.