Boutet Family Law: Collaborative Divorce

The goal of a collaborative process for negotiating separation and divorce is to attempt in good faith to address each partner's needs - legal, finanancial and emotional - without involving the court. On the other hand, the goal of a traditional legal representation is one-sided and combative; it does not seek to finalize separation in a way that is fair to both partners, nor does it consider the impact of the process on the relationship between partners after the fact.

Nathalie focuses her practice on high net worth families and people with family owned businesses. As an accredited mediator and certified Family Enterprise Advisor™, she tailors her approach to these sophisticated portfolios.

The first thing you should do if you are separating is think about what kind of lawyer you choose and what message this will send to the other side. If you hire a lawyer that has collaborative training, the message you're sending is that you want to be well represented, and you want to do it with dignity. You don't want to make your financial affairs public, and you want to keep it in a setting where you have control over the outcome. Thankfully, we have amazingly well-developed methods of non-court negotiation that are well suited for resolving a family file with these goals in mind.