David Sarnacki has been selected by attorneys and judges for inclusion in Best Lawyers in America, 19th Edition. His peer-review selection includes three areas: Family Law; Family Law Mediation; and Collaborative Law–Family Law.

Posted in Collaborative Divorce, Divorce Grand Rapids, General, Mediation/ADR, Something Different, The Practice No Comments »

“Everything you can imagine is real.”–Pablo Picasso
You’ve heard the saying: Perception is reality. So how can we collaborate through divorce negotiations to a fair resolution when you and your spouse start with such vastly different sets of perceptions?
As strange as it seems, the collaborative divorce process actually moves you through perceptions by promoting fairness in [...]

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CBS Money Watch offers Jane Bryant Quinn’s list of “10 Steps to Avoid Losing Your Shirt in a Divorce.”
Jane Bryant Quinn writes (excerpt):
10. Put $$$ in your pocket by avoiding a battle with your spouse. In hard times, divorcing couples struggle for every dime. But the more you fight, the more of those dimes vanish [...]

Posted in Collaborative Divorce, Gentler Divorce, Mediation/ADR 1 Comment »

Grand Rapids Collaborative Divorce shows us how the collaborative divorce process can move through perceptions by promoting fairness in ways the court system simply cannot (excerpt):
In a collaborative divorce, you are accorded dignity and respect. The commitment from the very start is not about the past, fighting or blame. The professionals move the [...]

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“Kill em’ Kyle”, “Smash em’ Steven”,  “Crush em’ Chuck”.  Why were these commands plastered all over my neighborhood as I went for my morning run?  Are Chuck, Kyle and Steve going to war?  No, because another banner read “Put it in the Net Jeff”.  These are merely young men playing another game in the Hockey [...]

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Single Parent Gossip shares the method for using collaborative law to resolve your divorce out of court.
Talibah Mbonisi writes (excerpt):
. . . In this cooperative framework, both parties also agree to:
- Act in their children’s best interests to minimize any negative impact that the situation could have on them.
- Be respectful to one another, stay [...]

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Stu Webb is being honored for finding a better way to divorce at the 10th International Academy of Collaborative Professionals Educational Forum.

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ABA Book Briefs Blog features a divorce mediation excerpt from the book “Collaborative Law: Achieving Effective Resolution in Divorce without Litigation,” Second Edition by Pauline H. Tesler (excerpt):
If a collaborative case runs into problems, a “meta-mediator” can help everyone get through the challenging phase. Sometimes a “perfect storm” of challenging clients and challenging issues can [...]

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The Traverse City Record-Eagle introduces the concept of the gentler divorce through Collaborative Divorce to our neighbors to the north.
Vanessa McCray writes (excerpt):
But feelings and the family’s future are not to be overlooked. Divorce is a “devastating and emotionally intense time, even if you’ve chosen to use this model,” she said. Franseen acts as a [...]

Posted in Collaborative Divorce, Mediation/ADR 3 Comments »

Gentler Divorce’s list of collaborative child specialists in Grand Rapids who are trained and committed to collaborative divorce includes:
Peter Everts
Mary Lier
Linda Ringleka
Michael Ryan
Leslie Visser

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Gentler Divorce’s list of collaborative mental health professionals and divorce coaches in Grand Rapids who are trained and committed to collaborative divorce includes:
Craig A. DeWitt
Peter Everts
Denise Hames
Mary Lier
Linda Ringleka
Michael Ryan
Thomas Spahn
Leslie Visser
Charlene Wickering

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Gentler Divorce’s list of collaborative attorneys in grand rapids who are trained and committed to collaborative divorce includes:
Deborah Bennett Berecz
Melanie DeStigter
Anthony Gauthier
Susan Wilson Keener
Courtney L. Quist
Ric Roane
David Sarnacki
Randy Velzen

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Smart Money shows how making joint decisions can cost less and feel better.
Aleksandra Todorova writes (excerpt):
The goal of collaborative divorce is to avoid that. “In a collaborative divorce, the decisions have to be made by the couple,” Stoner says. The two sides and their attorneys meet together and talk until they reach an agreement everyone [...]

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The Orlando Sentinel reports on how collaborative divorce promotes a kinder, gentler process.
Mark Schlueb writes (excerpt):
“You’re focusing on the children from the start,” she said. “And people who have been through it say they came out with communication skills they didn’t have before.”
****
“What makes judges so sad is we see people fighting desperately, but if [...]

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The Fort Worth Business Press how to work through complicated divorce issues with collaborative divorce attorneys.
Leslie Wimmer writes (excerpt):
In traditional cases “you have mom and dad either going to court or preparing to go to court and more or less preparing to say every bad thing the other parent did, every flaw in their character, [...]

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guelphmercury.com shows that fighting in divorce court rarely produces a real winner.
Joanne Shuttleworth writes (excerpt):
“It’s not for everyone, but for most people, it allows more dignity and control over the matter,” Rinnie said. “With this process, we can sit down and talk about what a good solution looks like. We can get a result that [...]

Posted in Collaborative Divorce, Divorce Grand Rapids, Families/Children 1 Comment »

DailyCamera.com shows how Working together to separate and divorce leads to better outcomes.
Aimee Heckel writes (excerpt):
But the collaborative process seems to be more effective than a judge throwing down the gavel. A 2005 Canadian study showed more clients were satisfied after a collaborative divorce, and that it led to quantifiable improvements in the relationships between [...]

Posted in Collaborative Divorce, Divorce Grand Rapids, Relationships 1 Comment »

Dallas-Fort Worth’s CBS 11 News investigated how Collaborative Divorce helps lower the stress on divorcing couples.
Tracy Kornet reported (excerpt):
During this process, the husband, wife and their attorneys work together — in private — to find a way to meet each individual’s needs.
“The process is so structured,” Denton explained. “It allows folks to get through and [...]

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Times Online reports on more fallout from the Paul McCartney-Heather Mills divorce: a call by senior High Court family judge Justice Coleridge for collaborative divorce. [The Telegraph also covered the story.]
Frances Gibb writes (excerpt):
Under the new process, the spouses and their lawyers meet to agree settlements at a fraction of the cost of a [...]

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At Grand Rapids Collaborative Divorce I posted an excerpt from Pauline Tesler–via the ABA–highlighting the movement away from litigation toward Collaborative Law. In it, Pauline Tesler notes that switching to a collaborative law practice is:
Challenging since it”involves mastering knowledge and skills that were not taught to us in law school.”
Rewarding since “it is common [...]

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