Highland lawyers come together to help people navigate divorce and separation in a collaborative way

By Rachel Smart

Published: 16:30, 10 December 2023

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Left to right: Natalie Bruce (Harper Macleod), Sarah Lilley (Brodies); Fiona Campbell (Macleod & MacCallum),Jane Young (Innes & Mackay), Joyce Simpson (Gowans Dickson), Florence Fisher (Brodies), Morag MacIntosh (Macleod &MacCallum), Jenna Thomson (Macleod & MacCallum), Grant Hassan (Harper Macleod)

Separation and divorce can be a painful and stressful experience which may continue to have a damaging effect on you and your family's emotional and financial wellbeing years later. The way you deal with arrangements for children and financial matters following separation often determines the outcome.

Have you considered the collaborative way? Utilising the expertise and experience of a collaboratively trained family lawyer offers clients a non-confrontational approach to agreeing the legal, financial and practical arrangements for their separation and divorce. It is less adversarial, with no court involvement, and is focused on positive solutions.

The collaborative approach enables clients to reach a legally-binding agreement through supported

discussions. There are number of advantages for separating couples utilising the collaborative approach:

Minimise the conflict in separation or divorce;
Lessen the stress whilst proceeding through the process;
Reduce the emotional damage of separation or divorce;
Protect the children;
Make good financial choices for the future;
Retain control over decision making;
Retain dignity, integrity and respect;
Ensure everyone involved has a better outcome.

Everyone's situation is different. Whether the collaborative approach is right for a particular person or couple will depend on their individual circumstances, current arrangements and future goals. The "how does it work?" section of the Consensus Collaboration Scotland website can be helpful in helping a person or separating couple to decide what route to choose.

In relation to costs, that will be different for each couple. Much will depend on individual circumstances.

However, there is no costly court action involved which is unlike the "traditional" adversarial approach to separation and divorce.

The Highlands and Islands of Scotland is home to a number of collaboratively trained family lawyers, all of whom have experience in assisting couples through separation, both in relation to financial and child law matters. If anyone would like more information about the process please do not hesitate to contact any of the firms or individuals mentioned here.

Harper Macleod

Grant Hassan

Associate

Grant.Hassan@harpermacleod.co.uk

01463 795 033

www.harpermacleod.co.uk

Natalie Bruce

Senior Solicitor

Natalie.Bruce@harpermacleod.co.uk

01463 795 025

www.harpermacleod.co.uk

Brodies LLP