At the FACP Grand Rounds presentation and then again at My Collaborative Team’s Happy Hour on Friday we discussed the question of whether sometimes the professionals try to hard to keep a Collaborative case going.  When is enough, enough?  Does there come a time when our ethical standards require the professionals to terminate the Process?  And can the professionals even terminate the Process or is that reserved for the clients?

Some people in the discussion raised Pauline Tesler’s golden apple metaphor suggesting that if it is the professionals that are reaching for the golden apple and not the clients, then it may be time to terminate the Process.  

I think we must always keep in mind that while the professionals may have the same goal of reaching settlement that the clients do, it is often easier for the professionals who are not emotionally involved in the divorce, to keep their eyes on the finish line.  The clients are going through one of the worst emotional occurrences in their life.  It is easy for them to lose sight of their goals especially when the process of divorce clouds their vision.  Sometimes they lose sight of that golden apple and we, the professionals, must keep them on track.  That is certainly when it is not time to give up.

How do you determine when Enough is Enough?