Collaborative Divorce

Rachel and Jason Borntreger are both collaboratively trained attorneys. In 2017, Rachel founded the local non-profit organization, Capital Collaborative Group, to promote the best practices of collaborative divorce and to increase awareness of this option for our local families. There are now over 40 collaboratively trained professionals practicing in Tallahassee.

What is Collaborative Divorce?

What is different about Collaborative Divorce?

What to Expect

To learn more about collaborative divorce, schedule a consultation with either Rachel or Jason. From our office in Tallahassee, we work with clients throughout Florida.

Meet the Collaborative Team

The collaborative divorce process involves a team of collaboratively trained professionals, referred to as the “collaborative team.” Your team will consist of the following four professionals: a financial specialist, a mental health specialist, your attorney, and your spouse’s attorney. Each role is discussed in detail:

Financial Specialist or financial neutral

mental health specialist

collaborative attorney

Benefits of Collaborative Divorce

Avoid Court: Collaborative divorce participants do not go o court. In fact, the parties sign an agreement committing to resolve the case entirely outside of court. If either party engages in court action, the collaborative team must withdraw and the parties must hire litigation counsel.
Legal Advice: One of the key features of collaborative divorce is the presence of attorneys who can provide legal advice to their clients during face-to-face negotiations (called team meetings). In divorce mediation, participants typically will not get legal advice unless they hire an attorney.
Party Control: In collaborative divorce, the parties maintain control rather than leaving it up to a judge. Collaborative divorce allows spouses to make highly specialized agreements that work best for their family, and which otherwise could not be ordered by a court.
Party Satisfaction: Collaborative participants report high degrees of satisfaction with the process and outcome compared to litigation participants. Even if litigants are satisfied with the outcome of a case, they are often dissatisfied with the cost, stress, uncertainty and acrimony from litigation.
Maintain Privacy: Collaborative divorce is a private process whereas litigation often plays out in a public courtroom. Collaborative divorce avoids public documents that include allegations and other “dirty laundry.”
Your Own Timeline: Collaborative divorce participants create their own timeline. The case can move at the pace that best suits their family. Litigation clients are subject to the timeline and appearance requirements of the court system.
Preservation of Relationships: The preservation of relationships is often important to parties, especially when they will continue toco-parent together. One of the reasons Collaborative divorce works so well is because it assists the parties in communicating with each other.

Collaborative Law Forms

These forms will apply if you are choosing the collaborative divorce process.

Collaborative Attorney Fee Agreement

This is your contract between you and your collaborative attorney.

Fee Agreement

Collaborative Participation Agreement

This is the contract that officially make a case a “collaborative” case. It is very important that you read this if you are considering collaborative divorce.

participation Agreement

First Team Meeting Agenda

The first 4-way meeting is a procedural meeting which is used to make sure everyone understands collaborative divorce and to “plan” the rest of the divorce process. This handout describes the agenda for the first meeting.

meeting agenda

Good Faith Handout

Collaborative divorce is premised on good faith and full disclosure. This handout describes the expectations we have for the collaborative process.

good faith handout

Rachel and Jason Borntreger both practice collaborative divorce, and are available to explain the intricacies of collaborative law compared to litigation. To learn more about collaborative divorce, schedule a consultation with either Rachel or Jason. From our office in Tallahassee, we work with clients throughout Florida.

Rachel Borntreger is the founding president of the local collaborative organization, Capital Collaborative Group. To learn more about the organization or its individual members, please visit the CCG website athttps://www.capitalcollaborativegroup.com/.