Collaborative Divorce Institute of Tampa Bay > Domestic Violence Victims and the Collaborative Divorce Process

From Linda M. Peterman, CRC, LMHC:

The collaborative divorce process can be appropriate for relationships in which domestic violence or abuse has occurred. Collaborative divorce provides both parties with a support system and a non-adversarial approach to divorce. The collaborative team includes two attorneys (one representing each spouse), a neutral mental health professional and a neutral financial professional. This balanced approach offsets the unequal balance of power that exists in abusive relationships.

A determination of whether or not the abused spouse is prepared and capable of participating in meetings with the abuser must be made. This will depend on the types of abuse that have occurred; the severity of abuse and the emotional vulnerability of the injured party. A victim of domestic violence can benefit from the collaborative divorce process by getting support, empowerment, and an equal say through the process. Although mutually beneficial resolutions can be challenging with abusive relationships, it can provide better protection than litigation.

You can read more at Collaborative Divorce Institute of Tampa Bay.

Tagged: Collaborative Divorce, domestic violence, Florida, mental health professional, Tampa

Posted in: Collaborative Divorce, Collaborative Facilitator