For some divorcing or separating couples, lawyers may already be involved. Collaborative Law allows for family consultants to be invited to work with separating couples and their lawyers during negotiations:

Under the collaborative process, each person appoints their own collaboratively trained lawyer and you and your respective lawyers all meet together to work things out face to face. Both of you will have your lawyer by your side throughout the process and so you will have their support and legal advice as you go. [resolution.org.uk]

I work as a qualified family consultant with Collaborative Law practitioners. While lawyers still take the lead in Collaborative Law, they may refer clients to family consultants to help them prepare for and manage collaborative meetings. The details of this process will vary with each couple, as with mediation; if you would like to know more about my role as a family consultant, please get in touch.