Cincinnati Family Law & Divorce Blog: The Role Of The Family Relations Specialist In Collaborative Divorce

When a couple decides on a collaborative divorce, each party must engage his or her own attorney; preferably an attorney who has been trained in the collaborative model.  There are other professionals that can be engaged and it is up to the parties and their attorneys to decide if other professionals are appropriate.  There are two types of professionals that are part of the Cincinnati Collaborative Group Practice.  These are family relations specialists (“FRS”) and financial neutrals.  This post addresses the role of the family relations specialist.   Our family relations specialists are all psychologists or trained therapists.  Generally speaking, the FRS uses their specialized skills and training to coach people through the major transition of ending their marriage.  In addition to the purely legal considerations in a marital termination, social, emotional and parenting concerns are among the many issues competing for the couple’s attention.  The goal is to navigate through these...