Collaborative Practice featured in the Australian Financial Review

May 7, 2024 Uncategorised

President of Collaborative Professionals (NSW), Shelby Timmins, recently discussed the significant advantages of the collaborative divorce process in an article in the Australian Financial Review.  Whilst the collaborative process is particularly suited for families navigating the challenges of separation and divorce, we are seeing increasing interest and uptake for Collaborative Practice in other legal areas such as wills and estates, further underscoring its effectiveness and adaptability.

In New South Wales, the collaborative approach is enhanced by the inclusion of a coach in all cases, helping parties manage the emotional and communicative aspects of the process.  The team may also include other collaboratively trained professionals such as financial advisors, accountants and child consultants, who work together as an interdisciplinary team that supports the whole family.

A recent survey of the Collaborative Professionals (NSW) Board, whose members are experienced collaborative practitioners that are involved in a large bulk of the collaborative practice work in Sydney, revealed that:

• Nearly all cases concluded with a negotiated outcome that considers the needs and interests of the entire family.
• Most collaborative divorce cases are typically resolved within four to five meetings.
• Only a small percentage of cases withdraw from the collaborative process.
• Particularly where experienced collaborative practitioners are involved, there are matters that include complexities like drug and alcohol abuse and mental health, that have been successfully dealt with using the collaborative process.