Divorce Services

Collaborative divorce in San Diego

Each spouse has their own attorney, and a team of neutral professionals helps both reach agreement without a judge deciding.

What this professional does

Collaborative divorce is a team process. Collaborative Practice California describes it as two parties working with a team of professionals on settlement agreements, with decisions made by the clients rather than a judge. The team is assembled for the family's needs and can include attorneys, communications coaches and child specialists (roles filled by mental health professionals), financial experts and others.

Unlike mediation, each spouse has their own collaboratively trained attorney who advises and advocates for them inside the process. Ask each attorney how their participation agreement works, including what happens to the team if the process ends and someone goes to court.

When to seek this help

  • Both spouses want to settle privately and are willing to share information fully.
  • You want individual legal advice but a non-adversarial process.
  • Children would benefit from a child specialist hearing their perspective.
  • The finances benefit from one shared neutral financial professional.

How to prepare

  • A list of your priorities and concerns for the first team meeting.
  • Complete financial documents, since transparency is central.
  • Children's schedules and needs, if relevant.
  • Questions about how the process ends if agreement is not reached.

Questions to ask before hiring

  • Are you trained in collaborative practice, and how many collaborative cases have you handled?
  • Who will be on our team, and how are the neutrals chosen?
  • What does the participation agreement say if the process ends?
  • How are team fees billed and shared?
  • How often does the team meet, and how are agendas set?

Checking qualifications

  • Check each attorney's State Bar profile. Collaborative training is a private credential.
  • Verify mental health team members with the DCA License Search and CPA financial neutrals with the Board of Accountancy.

Limits of this role

  • It requires good faith from both spouses. It may not fit cases involving abuse or concealed assets.
  • Agreements still become court paperwork. The court process does not disappear.

Providers & resources to explore

External organization listed for information only. No endorsement, partnership or referral. Checked on its official website on November 6, 2026; confirm qualifications, availability and local service directly.

  • International Academy of Collaborative Professionals (IACP) (Directory): Professional association for collaborative practice with a public member directory. Official website. IACP member directory. Not a law firm or a team you retain. Verify any listed professional's license independently. Source checked 2026-11-06.

Frequently asked questions

How is collaborative divorce different from mediation?

In mediation, a single neutral helps both spouses and does not advocate for either. In collaborative divorce, each spouse has their own attorney plus shared neutral professionals.

Who is on a collaborative team?

According to Collaborative Practice California, a team is built around the family and can include attorneys, communications coaches, child specialists, financial experts and other professionals.

What happens if we cannot agree?

That depends on the participation agreement you sign. Ask each attorney to explain it before you commit.

Related topics

Primary resources

This page is general education for San Diego County residents. It is not legal, tax, financial or mental health advice and has not been reviewed by an attorney. External organizations named here are informational listings only: no endorsement, partnership, referral or ranking is implied, and qualifications, availability and local service must be confirmed directly with each organization.