Both parties have skilled advisor’s at every stage of the process who understand how to forge creative settlements. The client is never on his own; his or her counsel is there to explain issues and help the client achieve his or her goals.

Everyone in the process agrees in advance to work only toward a settlement which meets the priorities of both parties and is in the best interests of the post-divorce family. Game-playing and taking advantage are not permitted.

Removing the case from the adversarial system reduces the stress on the parties and their children.

The lawyer shares with his or her client a financial incentive to make the collaborative process work. The lawyer has not succeeded unless he or she helps his or her client create a win-win solution. The attorney is “out of a job” if the process breaks down.

Valuable benefits are achieved when the spouses tailor a settlement to their specific circumstances.

Greater privacy and confidentiality is created since interim pleadings and discovery are not filed with the court.

Collaborative professionals are concerned about process as well as outcome. They act respectfully and honestly.

Collaborative professionals and the clients are treated as vital parts of the team, not adversaries.

Costs are reduced by retaining one neutral expert. The process is certainly less expensive than protracted litigation.

The Collaborative Law Institute of Missouri, Inc. consists of family law attorneys, mental health professionals and financial specialists, who practice independently of one another. They have come together in this group out of mutual respect and commitment to the collaborative process of dispute resolution.