How a Divorce Coach can Support the Collaborative Law Process

Erica Cottrell was previously a lawyer member of the Collaborative Family Solutions pod for several years, whilst working as a collaborative family lawyer for Sampson Coward in Salisbury. She recently re-joined the pod as a Divorce Coach, having established her own divorce coaching business in 2024.

Erica now combines over 20 years of family law experience with coaching skills to help and support clients who are divorcing or separating.

Erica can work with clients before, during and after the collaborative law process on a bespoke basis depending on each client’s needs. She is there to provide emotional support and practical guidance.

Early work often involves examining well-being and self-care, the client’s boundaries, and developing self-awareness of how they are feeling, as well as recognising and managing the impact it has on their behaviour. These initial steps are often the essential groundwork to ensure that the client is in the best possible shape for the collaborative process.

Collaborative divorce is all about the parties coming together around a table to resolve issues, and it requires both parties to be able to see the whole picture, including the perspective of the other party. This often requires a significant mindset shift and is a key area where a Divorce Coach can really help by preparing the parties for the first four-way meeting and subsequent meetings.

Effective communication is vital during the collaborative process to ensure each meeting is as productive as possible. Pre-meeting work on language (verbal and nonverbal), triggers, and strategies for avoiding triggers can make a real difference.

Some clients find completing the financial disclosure Form E daunting, and Erica can provide practical support to complete the form and collate the documents ready to be sent to the client’s lawyer.

Article written by: Erica Cottrell, Divorce Coach