Instead of a “War of the Roses” divorce—try one that ends in champagne, strawberries, and a few tears of relief.  That’s how Paul French, CPA, ABV described the conclusion of a case he recently worked on for a wealthy couple, in the relatively new context of “Collaborative Law.”   During last week’s NACVA conference, French and co-presenter Frederic Glassman, J.D. explained that in divorce cases, the “collaborative” approach means the parties still hire attorneys and experts—but if they can’t reach a settlement, their professionals are disqualified from appearing in any trial.  Both sides still disclose all financial details, but the experts maintain a more neutral than “hired gun” perspective.  And the non-adversarial approach not only leads to a successful settlement rate (about 98%) but also to more satisfied clients—and less conflict/contention for appraisers to deal with, which has got to be worth breaking out the bubbly.  For more information, visit the International Academy of Collaborative Professionals here.  And look for an article on the collaborative law approach for appraisers in an upcoming issue of the Business Valuation Update™.