The general consensus amongst collaborative divorce attorneys is that the best way to get your spouse onboard with the Collaborative Process is to take a subtly persuasive, low-pressure approach. When a potential client contacts Kales & Kales and asks how to present the concept of Collaborative Divorce to their husband or wife, we’ll often send them an email, which we encourage the potential client to share with their spouse, containing information about the Collaborative Process, such as a link to the Professionals of Northern Virginia website and a “Collaborative Divorce Knowledge Kit.”
The idea is that this allow the potential client’s spouse the opportunity to see for themselves how Collaborative Divorce is a less painful, most often cheaper way to dissolve a marriage. The following is an example:
Dear Potential Client:
I enjoyed chatting with you today a great deal. Per our discussion, the following are materials about the Collaborative Process, all of which you are free to share with your wife:
- International Academy of Collaborative Professionals video called “Collaborative Divorce: A Safe Place.”
http://video.collaborativepractice.com/video/default.html,
The video captures the benefits of the Collaborative Process via the experiences of a couple who actually went through it. - Today Show piece about collaborative divorce, in which 2 prominent collaborative attorneys are interviewed. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6_1qOpk2GRA.
- CP Knowledge Kit.
If your wife is amendable to learning more about the collaborative process and getting some independent input regarding it, I suggest she contact a lawyer who’s a member of the Collaborative Professionals of Northern Virginia.
https://www.collaborativepractice.com/_t.asp?T=ShowGroup&GID=184
If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to me. I look forward to hearing how your discussions go.
Best regards,
Jonathan Kales