How to Choose a Collaborative Divorce Professional

Choosing a Collaborative professional is an important decision. The right professional will guide you through the Collaborative process in such a way that you fully benefit from all that makes it different from traditional divorce.

Questions to Ask:

• How long have you been involved with matrimonial/divorce/family law?

• How long have you been working on Collaborative cases, and approximately how many cases have you been involved with?

• What percentage of your caseload consists of Collaborative cases?

• What do you see as the benefits of proceeding with Collaborative cases vs. a litigated case?

• Are you a member of the NYACP as well as the IACP?

• Have you worked with my spouse’s lawyer in a Collaborative case before? What is your experience with him or her?

• How many team cases have you been involved with? What team professionals were involved in those cases?

• In your opinion, who are the best Collaborative professionals in this area, and why?

• In your opinion, what are the main reasons that some cases don’t settle through the Collaborative process?

• What are your hourly rates?

• Will you provide me with an itemized monthly bill?

• How do you calculate your billable hours?

• If I have a question about my case, can I call you? How quickly can I expect to have my calls returned?

• Can you name a few things I can do that will make my case go more smoothly?

• What do you expect from me?

• What documents do I need to produce?