Why Collaborative Can Help Couples Communicate During a Divorce

By Attorney Robert B. Fried

The most common complaints I hear at the beginning of a divorce are “We can’t communicate” and “He/she won’t talk to me.” The truth be known: Many marriages break down because the parties have grown apart and they no longer talk to each other.

The professionals in a Collaborative Divorce — attorneys, mental health professionals and financial neutrals — have all had specialized training to assist husbands and wives to talk to each other and to listen, really listen, to each other. In the collaborative process, we encourage the parties to talk more, to listen more — this is their divorce; they need to be heard — respectfully and civilly.