Tell me more about Separating and what`s involved?
When you decide to divorce/separate, there is so much to consider. If you have children, you will need to decide on parenting arrangements. You will ultimately need to have a property settlement. Where to start? You can be assisted with information about a range of processes plus be informed on how to tell the children and then to explore co-parenting arrangements.
We encourage and support you to manage the financial and children`s issues constructively, away from the potential damaging outcomes of the court system.
Mediation is one method, which may be suitable for your negotiations.
Collaborative Practice, is another constructive process, which involves a team of professionals, who work together with you both, to resolve your property and children`s issues, in a dignified manner, and away from the court system. This process provides you with a ONE STOP SHOP approach.
The team consists of a family lawyer for each of you, a neutral Psychologist and a neutral Financial professional. We take care of your legal, financial, parenting, emotional and communication issues, through out the process. As the Psychologist in this process, I facilitate joint meetings where we all sit around a table and work through your settlement issues in an orderly, supportive, future focussed and empowering manner. You are actively involved in all discussions, having worked with the relevant professionals between meetings.
Where children are involved, I focus on their best interests, aiming to enhance their well being. Ultimately, your lawyers draw up the legal documents that settle your issues in a more amicable manner, out of court, resulting in a high chance of cooperative co-parenting.
What about the children’s issues?
Given my career experience, I am passionate about ensuring that children adjust well to your separation. While your marriage is over, you will always be connected through your child/ren. Together, you can access these services as part of the collaborative process or as an independent service:
- When and how to tell the kid/s
- Dealing with questions and unusual behaviours from the kids
- Parenting plans
- Life after separation with healthy communication and co-operative parenting
- Ensuring that the kids thrive during and after separation
How will you benefit from Collaborating?
- You choose a dignified process that prevents the potential emotional damage of an adversarial fight
- Tension and conflict is de-escalated
- You have a direct involvement in all negotiations
- Your kid/s interests and well-being will be best addressed
- You get much better value (legal, emotional, parenting, financial support), for the money you spend
- You will learn effective communication skills that are always useful
- You are more likely to have an amicable relationship after divorce
- Generally you will resolve your property settlement and child issues in a time effective manner
- You agree to settle out of Court