7 nAceumwesn brought to you by THE PRESS AND JOURNAL November 2019 Couples can collaborate to slice assets in divorce BY KEVIN MACKENZIE Government figures report that the number of divorces granted in Scotland in 2017-18 was 6,873, which is 13% fewer than the year before. While that means fewer couples went through this stressful process, chances are that for many of those thousands who did, it was still an exceptionally difficult and emotional time. As a Financial Planner – and financial neutral – I’m seeing a rise in demand for collaborative divorce: a non-confrontational approach where separating couples agree the legal, financial and family arrangements with a view to minimising conflict and the emotional impact on those involved. It may sound unlikely, but in my experience, there’s a growing number of people who don’t want to spend time and money arguing in the courts; they just want to finalise arrangements and move on. A collaborative approach Peoplewhodon’t wanttospend timeandmoney arguinginthe courts