Mission Statement

Coastal Collaborative Colleagues is a non-profit organization committed to working to resolve differences that arise during divorce with respect and cooperation, without court intervention, while addressing the needs of all family members. Coastal Collaborative Colleagues’ members are independent attorneys, financial professionals and mental health professionals specially trained in the Collaborative Divorce process. Our mission is to educate and inform the public about the Collaborative Divorce process, to foster the provision of services through training, and to provide southeastern North Carolina with an alternative to the traditional adversarial divorce process.

What Is Collaborative Divorce/Collaborative Practice?

Collaborative Divorce is an alternative dispute resolution process established by North Carolina law for settling divorce and family law claims outside of court.  The philosophy guiding Collaborative Divorce acknowledges that there are multiple components to divorce – legal, emotional and financial – and appreciates that often the emotional and financial needs of clients are neglected in the traditional adversarial divorce model.  To better meet all the needs of clients, the Collaborative Divorce process employs a client-selected, specifically trained and educated team in interest based communication and negotiation, consisting of legal professionals, mental health professionals and financial professionals working together to assist clients in reaching a mutually acceptable settlement. 

Several core elements govern the Collaborative Divorce process:

• A Pledge Contract to negotiate a mutually acceptable settlement agreement without going to court to resolve any/all legal disputes.

• Honest, open, full, voluntary and good faith communication and exchange of information.

• The goal of finding creative resolutions to disputes which take into account the interests of all parties.

• Disqualification of all team professionals involved in the collaborative process from participation in any future litigation proceedings if necessary between the clients.

How Does the Collaborative Process Work?

The Collaborative Divorce process is a series of conferences between the team professionals and the clients.  Once the parties have each retained a collaborative attorney, the parties identify what other team members may be appropriate for their situation and budget.  Other than legal professionals, the potential team members could include a financial professional, a child specialist, a co-parenting adviser, and/or divorce coach(es).  After the team is identified, the clients and team work together to gather information, identify the parties’ needs and interests, brainstorm creative resolutions, evaluate and determine resolutions, and memorialize the parties’ agreement in a written agreement.