Divorcing with dignity: Collaborative family law

28 August 2026

Often, when a marriage comes to an end, couples want to end their marriage on a high note rather than hashing it out in a lengthy court battle.

In this instance, collaborative family law may be the right option.

Since the introduction of no-fault divorce in April 2022, couples have had the option of bringing their marriage to an end through no-fault divorce.

In keeping with the concept of divorce being resolved without conflict, collaborative practices can be utilised to help reach an agreement on related property and financial matters and the arrangements for your children.

What is collaborative family law?

When you choose collaborative family law, you and your partner agree to work jointly towards bringing your marriage to an end via a round table meeting approach.

This method promotes honest communication and constructive negotiation, helping both parties reach an outcome that meets their needs while supporting the best interests of the whole family.

The process is completely voluntary and takes place outside of the court system, which can reduce some of the stress and emotional difficulties often associated with divorce.

Each person appoints their own solicitor and everyone involved meets face-to-face to discuss the issues and work towards an agreement that is acceptable to both parties.

The meetings may also include the participation of relevant ‘neutrals’ which could include a financial advisor, pensions expert, property valuer or such other expert as appropriate.

You would both enter into an agreement whereby you commit to reaching a settlement without Court recourse.

Throughout the process, each partner continues to receive independent legal advice.

There is no fixed number of meetings required for a collaborative divorce. Sessions continue for as long as necessary until a mutually beneficial agreement has been reached.

For a collaborative divorce to be successful, both parties must provide full and honest disclosure, remain committed to the process, make every effort to avoid litigation and, where required, seek advice from other professionals on specialist matters such as financial arrangements or child-related issues.

What are the benefits of collaborative family law?

There are some distinct benefits of choosing to come to an amicable settlement regarding financial matters or child-related issues with your partner beyond the lower cost.

Some of the benefits include:

• Greater control – You and your partner remain entirely in control of the process and the outcome.
• Face-to-face negotiations – Rather than managing contact through solicitors, parties meet face-to-face, allowing them to set clear priorities.
• Greater privacy – As the process is held outside of court, there is little to no risk of any information becoming public.
• Encourages communication and kindness – As parties must work together to come to an arrangement, this process encourages less conflict and therefore fosters better co-parenting relationships should children be involved.

It is important to remember that collaborative family law can only be an option for you if you and your partner are open and honest with each other throughout the whole process.

If there are any concerns that this process may not be working for you, then you and your partner will have to pursue contested divorce services.

How can we help?

Choosing collaborative family law is choosing dignity in your divorce. Our team can support you when pursuing collaborative family law to ensure that the process works out for all parties involved.

If you would like to end the marriage amicably, we also offer Resolution Together services. During these processes, one solicitor represents both parties in a divorce.

For more information on collaborative family law options, get in touch with our team.