When I joined my firm three years ago, the managing attorney, Adam B. Cordover, preferred and advocated for out-of-court dispute resolution, including collaborative practice. We still had many litigated cases. Not every client, spouse, and other attorney is willing to agree to a more peacemaking approach, especially when they don’t know much about it.  But we had faith that we were on to something, and that if given the opportunity and knowledge, more people would choose collaborative law. In 2015, we changed our name to Family Diplomacy: A Collaborative Law Firm, and began practicing exclusively in out-of-court dispute resolution,...

Archetypes at the Negotiating Table By Theresa Beran Kulat First articulated by the great philosopher, Plato, then more fully revealed by modern psychoanalyst Carl Jung, archetypes hold keys to unlocking the mysteries of a person’s life and can provide insights that assist negotiations at the collaborative table. After a very brief introduction to the world of archetypes, this article describes a methodology for using the language of archetypes to increase one’s self-awareness which can improve satisfaction with one’s personal and professional life. Then it offers a context, using awareness of archetypes, to improve effectiveness during the...

When going through a divorce, there are unlimited resources to support you, such as legal, financial and emotional, but there is one HUGE piece of the puzzle that is not being addressed. This missing piece is essential and considered a foundational life skill when dealing with a stressful and emotional situation, especially a divorce. Let me explain… As a Divorce Mentor for over ten years, I have heard many reasons why couples want a divorce, such as not feeling heard, understood, appreciated, respected and/or just not compatible. As one client said, “We just can’t seem to get along. We don’t enjoy or want the same things in life.” Combine...

In my jurisdiction of Florida, in order to become certified as a Family Law Mediator, you must observe a certain amount of mediations. This structure helps newly trained mediators become more comfortable in their role and also helps with quality control. We can learn from the successes of mediation, but one of the largest challenges that my collaborative community has faced is the unwillingness of clients and many professionals to permit “observers” or “shadows” on their cases. As a relatively young yet rapidly growing collaborative community, offering newly-trained practitioners the opportunity to see a collaborative case has become...