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"Who should consider using Collaborative Divorce?"

Collaborative Divorce is a really interesting concept. Basically, both parties have a divorce attorney, and often, both parties have a coach. If there are children, there's a therapist for them. And if there's a business that might be owned by one or both parties, there could be a forensic CPA to value the business, help you with the assets of the business etc., and even to divide the business. All of this works together.

Who should? For anybody that can afford to use collaborative law, it would be a great thing to do. But it also has a lot of retainers and costs attributable to it. So you have to decide if it's right for you.

Julia M. Garwood is a family-law attorney and divorce mediator based in San Diego, CA. She can be reached at (619) 692-8100. View her website and Divorce Magazine profile.