Never after litigation did I ever receive a thank you letter.  But I did receive this last week after completing a Collaborative matter.

Dearest Ed,

I wanted to thank you for being such an important and supportive part of my collaborative divorce team. I learned so much about myself in this process and I know I came out stronger. I truly appreciate your expertise, guidance, insights, openness, and most especially your sense of humor. It is so easy to take oneself too seriously during this enormous transitional process. It was nice to have someone to laugh at my jokes and engage in some levity to lighten the journey. 

I am incredibly grateful to have had the opportunity to avail myself of the collaborative model. I've been telling everyone I know about what a supportive and healing option it is for divorce. 

After 20 years of doing forensic accounting for litigated divorces I made the shift to Collaborative.  I was tired of the destruction that was going on around me every single day.  I wanted to make a difference in the work I was doing.

I guess I have reached my goal!

Don’t let anyone tell you that Collaborative is easy.  The matter above was anything but.  We had two spouses that were “stuck on principles.”  But we continually reminded them of their goals for peace and a future relationship raising their children.  Due to a strong Collaborative team, we were successful.  And how gratifying it was.