WHO WE ARE
The Hudson Valley Collaborative Divorce & Dispute Resolution Association is a group of lawyers, mental health professionals and financial professionals who have banded together to provide an alternative to the Court system of dispute resolution. The organization was founded in 2001 as part of an international movement to provide a respectful, thoughtful and peaceful process for those in need of assistance.
The collaborative model of divorce is an alternative to “traditional divorce” that is oftentimes adversarial and damaging to all parties involved.
Our commitment to this alternative process is further strengthened by the extensive training our members go through to improve their ability to work collaboratively.
Our association consists of two membership levels: Collaborative Professionals and Allied Resource Professionals. The Allied Resource Professionals are expert in topics often needed when trying to resolve a divorce, a business dispute or an estate matter, and include realtors, property appraisers, business appraisers, forensic accountants and others. With the help of your collaborative attorney, you will put together a team of professionals whose combined expertise can best address the problems you are trying to resolve.
STRONGER TOGETHER
The goal of the interdisciplinary team is to assist the divorcing spouses through the divorce processes as efficiently and economically as possible by maximizing resources and minimizing time and expense.
COLLABORATIVE PROFESSIONALS
Collaborative Divorce Attorneys
Each spouse has his or her own attorney. These attorneys are pledged to help you throughout your divorce by working cooperatively with you and your Collaborative Divorce “team”. They are committed to protecting your rights, but serve as true “legal counselors” – educating, mediating, and facilitating your legal process. Your Collaborative Divorce attorney will meet with you individually as well as in four-way meetings with you and your partner and your partner’s Collaborative Divorce attorney.
Collaborative Divorce Coaches
A divorce coach will support you through the process and work with you to help reduce the stress and strain of divorce. They will meet with you individually and together to develop communication skills that will help you during and after your divorce.
Financial Planners
These Financial Specialists help you gather and organize all your financial information needed for the divorce process. They also help you determine your immediate and long term cash flow needs. As a neutral facilitator and educator, the planner will help you fully understand your financial resources, and help determine what your financial future will hold, depending on the settlement options possible. Depending on your preferences, the planner will meet with you jointly or separately.
Child Specialists
Because children are affected in different ways by a divorce, the child specialist meets with each of your children to see the divorce through their eyes, and assesses for you how your child is doing. The specialist then meets with both of you to give you feedback, answer any questions you may have, and give you input to help you design a parenting plan that fits your unique needs. If necessary, the specialist can continue to provide support and advice to you and your spouse, and can meet with your children or provide appropriate referrals throughout the divorce process.
Collaborative Civil Attorneys
Each party has his or her own attorneys, who assist in putting together an interdisciplinary team appropriate to the particular issues presented by the dispute, whether it is a family business problem, an estate problem or any other matter that might otherwise be litigated.
ALLIED RESOURCE PROFESSIONALS
Collaborative professionals regularly enlist the expertise of other professionals, when appropriate. HVCDDRA maintains professional relationships with a variety of such professionals, including real estate appraisers, real estate brokers, mortgage lenders, insurance brokers, asset managers, mental health professionals, college financial planners and others.
Our Allied Resource Professionals have had training in the special needs of divorcing clients, and are prepared to assist you as necessary.
- Real Estate Appraisers & Brokers
- Financial Planning & Investment Management
- Mental Health Professionals
- Certified Public Accountants
MEET OUR ALLIED RESOURCE PROFESSIONALS
MEET OUR COLLABORATIVE PROFESSIONALS
The interdisciplinary model of Collaborative Divorce anticipates the interactive role and participation of the parties with their independent Attorneys, as well as either one neutral or two Divorce Coaches, a Financial Neutral Consultant, and a Child Specialist (if recommended). The goal of the interdisciplinary team is to assist the divorcing spouses through the divorce processes as efficiently and economically as possible while at the same time keeping in mind the needs of the individual spouses and their children.
INTERESTING IN JOINING US?
To learn more, please contact Lynn Servay at 845-896-9651 and she will have someone from your discipline get ack to you.
