Divorce in the Age of Covid: Collaborative's Time to Shine

Jul 8, 2020

Collaborative Divorce Skills are especially suited to the World of Covid. The Covid pandemic amplifies the benefits of the Collaborative Divorce Process. Our collective skills and teamwork translate exceptionally well to video platforms. This allows clients to move forward in this time of great challenge and enables a couple to look back and know they did it right.

A Safe Place: Collaborative Divorce has a professional team that creates a safe space where both clients can feel free to state their needs, wants, fears, and feelings during the divorce process.
A Place of Expertise: The team also provides the expertise that gives the clients support and information in the legal, financial and emotional realms which enable the clients to make more well informed decisions that suit their particular family. In the times of Covid, the team setting allows for greater opportunity to create previously unimagined solutions, ones which may be far different that in the recent past. The team can assist the clients in determining what their new normal will be. The choices are more vast than those available in court.
A Place to Plan for the Future: A Collaborative Divorce lets both clients move on with a more positive point of view. The process helps them plan for a more secure future.
A Place to Regain Control: In the world of Covid where courts are closed or offering only limited services, and delays are lengthy, Collaborative provides a place where you can move forward in planning your future.
A Place of Care and Compassion: Team members all value assisting the couple in achieving their goals as they honor their past and move forward. More than in any other divorce process, the Collaborative team works together to prepare the clients for difficult conversations and decisions as they face new emerging realities.
A Place for Now and the Future: Collaborative Divorce is uniquely suited for the world of Covid, as it translates well to video meeting platforms. In fact, the emotional presence of all, with a simultaneous distance for the clients creates a unique and productive space for conducting challenging discussions and flexible problem solving. The video platform provides enough distance for clients to feel less triggered and more comfortable expressing their concerns.

Collaborative’s Time to Shine

The coronavirus pandemic has changed daily life for most people including couples who are divorcing or considering divorce.

Maintaining social distance from others, limiting person-to-person contact and sheltering-in-place may very well continue for some time to come.

What divorce process can a couple choose then- if courts are offering limited services and extensive backlogs?

Interdisciplinary Collaborative teams using video-conferencing platforms such as Zoom are able to create a supportive, productive and unique space to hold challenging discussions and encourage flexible problem solving. In fact, videoconferencing platforms provide enough distance for many clients to feel less triggered, more comfortable expressing their concerns and more mindful in their problem-solving as they face new emerging realities.

We recognize that taking Collaborative cases online is challenging – everything from technology terror to re-learning how to manage difficult emotions during online meetings. CP Cal is committing its considerable resources this year to support California Collaborative professionals’ efforts to expand Collaborative practice to include taking Collaborative cases online - effectively and efficiently using the Zoom videoconferencing and other electronic platforms.

This article was authored by Don Blythe, President of Collaborative Practice California and originally published on https://www.cpcal.com/for-professionals/practice-tips-newsletter/