In the collaborative divorce process, both parties commit, in writing, to reaching an agreement without going to court. Lawyers for each side work with the parties to negotiate the terms. If the matter must go to court after the contract is signed, both lawyers must resign and new ones are appointed.

Often, the parties recruit the aid of a counsellor known as a communications coach and a financial expert to help with the process. The professionals involved communicate openly with each other to minimize the negative impact of divorce on their clients (and, importantly, their clients' children).

Because the collaborative law process focuses on building solutions together to reconstruct the individual lives involved, it is usually less expensive and more creative than other dispute resolution methods.