I recently had the MOST fun being a guest on Sidebar Social, a podcast hosted by Jennifer Grinke and Dana Stewart, two of the best family law attorneys I know in DFW. Check it out!
Below you’ll find an outline of everything we covered in the podcast:
Katie’s Background
- Trained as a child and family therapist
- Witnessed how traditional divorce harms kids
- Transitioned to collaborative law in 2018
- Now works almost exclusively in this field
Elevator Pitch: Explaining Collaborative Divorce
- Traditional divorce: adversarial attorneys
- Collaborative: team-based, whole-family focus
- Includes attorneys, MHP, financial neutral
- Aims for long-term, durable solutions
How Collaborative Meetings Work
- Clients referred to MHP after attorneys are hired
- MHP meets with each party individually first
- First joint meeting: identify goals (e.g., stability, financial needs)
- Team uses these goals to guide solutions
- Collaborative decisions are intentional and not rushed
Coaching & Communication Benefits
- MHP helps with conflict resolution and emotional regulation
- Attorneys trained in collaborative are essential
- MHP supports communication and emotional needs of the family
FAQs Answered
1. How is this different from mediation?
- Collaborative uses a full team (MHP, financial, legal)
- Ongoing coaching between sessions
- Multiple meetings with structured agendas
- More support and skill-building for co-parenting
2. Is collaborative more expensive?
- Not necessarily
- Avoids court prep, discovery, and hearings
- Reduces emotional cost
3. How long does it take?
- Typically 6 months
- 4–7 meetings spaced 2–3 weeks apart
- Work continues between meetings
4. What happens if someone opts out?
- Entire process ends
- Team disbands, and nothing carries over to court
- This structure incentivizes transparency and resolution
The Future of Collaborative Law
- Growing adoption across states
- Needs more education for attorneys and judges
- Misconceptions still exist (e.g., it’s “woo-woo”)
- Podcasts and public education are helping