From the desk of My Collaborative Team President, Edward S. Sachs, ACP

My introductory letter to new Collaborative clients describes my role as that of an educator and consultant.  My role is to make sure that everyone on the Collaborative team has full knowledge of all of the relevant financial information so that they can make an informed decision when negotiating a settlement. 

More recently, I have come to learn that my role goes beyond that.  It has become clear that one of the most important roles of the financial neutral is to make clients comfortable in a most uncomfortable situation.  Whether they are uncomfortable due to their lack of financial knowledge or just uncomfortable because their future is unknown, the first thing I must do is make them feel as comfortable as possible in the Collaborative Process.

I am always reassuring the clients that I will give them the information needed to make them comfortable.  I am always reassuring the clients that the team will give them a safe space to discuss their issues.  And I am always reassuring them that the team will do their best to make sure the Process and the results achieved in the Process are as fair as possible.

The shift to being not just an educator of financial information, but to also being a comforter is the biggest part of the paradigm shift for financial neutrals.  We can’t just be right brained bean counters.  We must allow our left brain to get exercise too!