Protecting Your Privacy

Just because you are separating or divorcing, all aspects of your life do not need to be available to the public. No one wants their life put on display like an open book. The Collaborative process can maintain your family’s privacy regarding very personal issues like parenting arrangements and finances.

In the Collaborative process, you and your spouse work with a child specialist and/or your attorneys to create a parenting plan that is uniquely suited to your children’s best interests, addressing both parents’ interests concerns. In the Collaborative process only your final agreements are included in the divorce decree. There is no public record about your family’s background, parenting issues, court evaluations, affidavit testimony pointing out real or perceived parenting flaws and/or your family's involvement with any other systems.

Although your final divorce decree is a public document, it can be drafted in such a way as to shield your financial information from public view. The attorneys can refer in the Findings and in the Conclusions of Law to a balance sheet that is sealed pursuant to Minn. District Court Rule 14.1. That means that only you and your spouse, your attorneys, and the Court have access to the value of your assets and the balances of your liabilities.

The Collaborative process protects your family’s privacy as the entire process is confidential, including the discussions in your meetings with your spouse and her/his attorney, the recommendations and work of the neutral professionals, and of course any discussions you have with your own attorney.

The Collaborative process gives you and your spouse a safe harbor in which to consider all options before you agree on the best way to resolve any issue.