Independent unaffiliated professionals who resolve divorces without adversarial court litigation
THE PROFESSIONAL TEAM

THE ROLE OF THE DIVORCE COACH

A coach is a licensed mental health professional with training in collaborative practice. Each client has his or her own coach to assist through the collaborative process.  Coaches do not provide therapy, nor do they act as a clients therapist before or after the collaborative process.

Coaches help clients in the following areas:

  • Communication skills
  • Providing support
  • Educating the client on the emotional and psychological aspects of divorce and separation in general and within their family
  • Helping the client prioritize his or her needs and interests
  • Assisting in parenting skills and developing a parenting plan


THE ROLE OF THE FINANCIAL SPECIALIST

A financial specialist is a licensed financial professional with a background in family or divorce planning.  The financial specialist serves as a neutral third party assisting both parties.

Financial specialists help clients in the following areas:

  • Gathering information
  • Budgeting
  • Educating clients about their financial reality
  • Developing spreadsheets and projections
  • Assisting with tax issues
  • Working with financial experts such as real estate appraisers and business valuators


THE ROLE OF THE CHILD SPECIALIST

A child specialist is a licensed mental health professional with training in the collaborative process.  The child specialist meets with the child or children. The child specialist is a neutral third party who assists both parents.

Child specialists help clients in the following areas:

  • Assessing the needs of the child
  • Helping the parents and other team professionals understand the child’s needs
  • Providing information and ideas to develop a parenting plan for the shared parenting after the dissolution


THE ROLE OF THE ATTORNEY

Collaborative attorneys are licensed in Missouri, experienced in family law matters and have training in the collaborative process.  Each client has his or her own attorney.  Each attorney is retained to help his or her client reach an agreement and must withdraw if either client chooses to resolve the matter by litigation or to terminate the process.

Collaborative attorneys help the clients in the following areas:

  • Encouraging free and open communication
  • Keeping his or her client focused on needs and interests
  • Managing the process by agendas and meeting summaries
  • Helping the client generate settlement options that best meet the needs of the entire family
  • Meeting and consulting with the other collaborative team members as needed
  • Finalizing the legal matter once settlement is reached and filing the appropriate court action