Peace Maker

Amicus provides an unparalleled opportunity for peacemaking in families within the consensual dispute resolution spectrum. This interdisciplinary, problem-solving environment was born out of the integration of Collaborative Law, an initiative in which lawyers limit their scope to settlement only by way of a signed agreement, and Collaborative Divorce, a team approach to divorce services that includes a Lawyer for each party together with a Collaborative Divorce Coach for each party, a neutral Financial Specialist and a neutral Child Specialist.

Taken together, Interdisciplinary Collaborative Practice supports the resolution of legal issues out of court as well as addressing any emotional, relational or behavioral problems that are obstacles to a successful resolution to the problems of the separation. Family and child therapists can work together with the other collaborative professionals to provide in-depth understanding of the entire family system, the relational dynamics underlying the problems of the separation as well as the individual characteristics of all family members.

Collaborative processes respect the family’s capacity to evolve forward through divorce, creating a family-centric method that can address the vast majority of problems related to parental separation thereby supporting the highest possible level of well being post separation for all family members, especially the children. This article explores various workable and replicable models for therapist-lawyer teamwork that can be adapted and modified to continue the evolution of best practices in creating lasting peace with separating families.