Empowering Families

Sometimes the spouses of my clients are reluctant to participate in the collaborative process, and this can be due to one of two reasons. One reason is that they genuinely don’t want to engage in it. They may feel reluctant, unprotected, or have other legitimate objections that we might not be able to overcome. In such cases, we can apply some collaborative principles to a traditional negotiation and strive to work in a collaborative spirit, even if we are not officially following the collaborative process.

However, sometimes the reluctance stems from a different reason. When a spouse hears that their partner, my client, wants a divorce, they may resist simply because they don’t want to agree to anything their spouse suggests. In these situations, educating them about the collaborative process can often help. By understanding how the collaborative approach can be a beneficial option for divorcing families, a reluctant spouse may become more open to participating.