Collaborative Divorce Attorney West Palm Beach, Florida

Originally published: May 2026 | Reviewed by Carolann Mazza

Carolann Mazza, P.A., is a non-litigation family law firm serving West Palm Beach and Palm Beach County families who need collaborative divorce, mediation, and out-of-court settlement services under Florida’s Collaborative Law Process Act, Section 61.56, Florida Statutes. 

Carolann Mazza, a Florida Supreme Court Certified Family Mediator licensed since 2001 and active member of the South Palm Beach County Collaborative Law Group, resolves equitable distribution, alimony, child time-sharing, and parental responsibility for West Palm Beach families — entirely outside Palm Beach County’s 15th Judicial Circuit Court.

Carolann Mazza, P.A., serves West Palm Beach and all Palm Beach County communities as part of a South Florida practice spanning Broward, Palm Beach, and Miami-Dade counties. Call (954) 527-4604 for a confidential consultation.

Key Takeaways

• Carolann Mazza, P.A., serves West Palm Beach residents under Florida’s Collaborative Law Process Act, Section 61.56, Florida Statutes, effective July 1, 2017
• Collaborative divorce cases for West Palm Beach families are filed at the Judge Daniel T. K. Hurley Courthouse, 205 N. Dixie Hwy, West Palm Beach, FL 33401 — only after both spouses reach a full written agreement outside of court.
• Palm Beach County’s 15th Judicial Circuit operates four courthouse locations — West Palm Beach, Palm Beach Gardens, Royal Palm Beach, and Delray Beach — and requires a Parent Education and Family Stabilization Course for all dissolution cases involving children.
• Florida Academy of Collaborative Professionals data shows 78% of Florida collaborative divorce cases conclude within six months, compared to 12 months or more for contested cases on Palm Beach County’s 15th Judicial Circuit dockets.t

Carolann Mazza, P.A., helps West Palm Beach families resolve divorce privately — without stepping inside Palm Beach County’s 15th Judicial Circuit. Schedule a confidential consultation today or call (954) 527-4604.

What Is a Collaborative Divorce Attorney in West Palm Beach and How Does the Process Work?

A collaborative divorce attorney in West Palm Beach is a Florida-licensed family law attorney trained under the Florida Collaborative Law Process Act who advises one spouse on legal rights, equitable distribution strategy, and out-of-court negotiation — while coordinating with the opposing spouse’s attorney and a team of neutral professionals to produce a binding marital settlement agreement without contested court filings at Palm Beach County’s Judge Courthouse.

Carolann Mazza has represented West Palm Beach and Palm Beach County families in non-litigation family law proceedings since 2001. Carolann Mazza holds an active membership in the South Palm Beach County Collaborative Law Group — the regional collaborative practice organization serving Palm Beach County families directly. 

That membership gives West Palm Beach clients access to a network of trained collaborative attorneys, financial neutrals, mental health neutrals, and child specialists who operate within Palm Beach County’s specific family law environment.

The process begins when both spouses and both attorneys sign a Participation Agreement under Section 61.55, Florida Statutes. 

That agreement commits all parties to resolve every marital issue outside of Palm Beach County’s 15th Judicial Circuit and triggers confidentiality protections under Section 61.57, Florida Statutes — making all disclosures, proposals, and team communications privileged and inadmissible in any subsequent court proceeding. 

For a full month-by-month explanation of how the process unfolds from first consultation through final filing, the process guide covers each stage in detail. 

For a breakdown of each team member’s role under Florida’s statutory framework, the team roles guide covers every professional’s authority and limitations.

Why Do West Palm Beach Couples Choose Collaborative Divorce Over Contested Litigation?

West Palm Beach couples choose collaborative divorce over contested litigation for three reasons specific to Palm Beach County: the 15th Judicial Circuit’s multi-location docket complexity, the mandatory court requirements that contested divorce imposes on families with children, and the active institutional endorsement collaborative divorce receives from Palm Beach County’s own court system.

Does Palm Beach County Actively Support Collaborative Divorce?

Palm Beach County’s 15th Judicial Circuit actively recognizes and endorses collaborative divorce as a cooperative and private alternative to contested litigation. 

The Palm Beach County Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller links directly to collaborative divorce information on the official divorce page, identifying collaborative divorce as a private, cooperative process alternative to contested proceedings. 

Palm Beach County judges encourage collaborative divorce before moving contested hearings forward on the docket. That institutional endorsement distinguishes Palm Beach County’s approach and gives West Palm Beach families confidence that the collaborative process operates within a court system that actively supports its use. 

The 15th Judicial Circuit of Florida administers Unified Family Court services across all four Palm Beach County courthouse locations — and collaborative divorce agreements filed as uncontested matters move through that system without docket competition.

Does Palm Beach County Require a Parenting Course Before Divorce Is Finalized?

Palm Beach County’s 15th Judicial Circuit requires both parties in a dissolution of marriage involving children to separately complete a Parent Education and Family Stabilization Course from a provider listed by the Florida Department of Children and Families before the case proceeds. 

Collaborative divorce eliminates that mandatory court-ordered requirement entirely. The collaborative process addresses parenting plan design and co-parenting communication through a child specialist and mental health-neutral professionals who provide that guidance privately within the collaborative team, without mandatory enrollment in a court-ordered course. 

West Palm Beach families with minor children avoid that procedural requirement and the associated scheduling delays by choosing the collaborative process.

How Does Collaborative Divorce Protect Financial Privacy in West Palm Beach?

Collaborative divorce protects financial privacy in West Palm Beach through Section 61.57, Florida Statutes. 

All financial disclosures, asset valuations, support proposals, and team communications made during the collaborative process remain privileged and inadmissible in any subsequent proceeding. 

Contested divorce proceedings at the Judge Daniel T. K. Hurley Courthouse produce no such protection — every financial affidavit, asset schedule, and support motion becomes part of the public court record accessible through the Palm Beach County Clerk’s eCaseView system. 

For West Palm Beach professionals, business owners, and executives whose financial structures carry reputational weight, that distinction between private collaborative proceedings and public court filings is operationally significant. 

The economics of collaborative divorce show that the private process also yields lower total costs for both spouses.

What Does Collaborative Divorce Cost for West Palm Beach Families?

Collaborative divorce costs for West Palm Beach families follow a shared professional fee structure that produces per-spouse costs significantly lower than contested litigation on Palm Beach County’s 15th Judicial Circuit docket — particularly for cases involving the complex asset profiles common to Palm Beach County marriages.

What Is the Divorce Filing Fee in West Palm Beach?

Every dissolution of marriage filed in Palm Beach County carries a clerk’s filing fee of $409 at the Judge Daniel T. K. Hurley Courthouse, 205 N. Dixie Hwy, West Palm Beach, FL 33401, as confirmed by the Palm Beach County Clerk of Courts’ fee schedule. Summons issuance adds $10. 

Service of process adds $40 to $70, depending on the method. These base costs apply to every Palm Beach County divorce filing — collaborative or contested.

How Much Does Collaborative Divorce Cost in West Palm Beach?

Most Florida collaborative divorce cases resolve for $5,000 to $8,000 per spouse when both parties cooperate fully. West Palm Beach cases involving Wellington equestrian properties, Jupiter waterfront real estate.

 PGA National retirement portfolios and closely held business interests benefit most from the shared CDFA model — one neutral Certified Divorce Financial Analyst credentialed by the Institute for Divorce Financial Analysts values all asset categories jointly for both spouses, replacing the adversarial model of competing appraisers and business valuators that drives contested litigation costs toward $15,000 to $30,000 or more per spouse. 

Key cost components include:

• Collaborative attorney fees — each spouse retains one collaborative attorney for consultation, Participation Agreement drafting, joint session attendance, and marital settlement agreement preparation
• Financial neutral fees — one Certified Divorce Financial Analyst serves both parties jointly, evaluating equitable distribution, alimony scenarios, and child support calculations under Florida’s income shares guidelines
• Mental health neutral fees — one licensed mental health professional facilitates communication across all joint sessions, shared between both parties.
• Child specialist fees — added when minor children are involved and parenting plan complexity warrants specialist input across Palm Beach County’s communities and school districts.
• Court filing costs — the $409 Palm Beach County clerk’s fee paid once at the uncontested filing stage.e

How Do West Palm Beach Collaborative Divorce Costs Compare to Contested Litigation?

Contested litigation on Palm Beach County’s 15th Judicial Circuit docket averages $15,000 to $30,000 or more per spouse when attorney retainers, hourly billing across discovery and hearings, competing expert witnesses, mandatory mediation fees of $200 to $400 per hour, and Parent Education and Family Stabilization Course enrollment costs are included. 

Collaborative divorce eliminates mandatory mediation costs, competing expert witness fees, discovery expenses, and contested motion practice entirely. 

For a full Florida-wide cost comparison, the collaborative divorce cost breakdown documents each process in detail. 

The economics of collaboration explains how shared professional costs lead to lower total fees for both spouses in every Florida county.

What Legal Issues Does Collaborative Divorce Resolve for West Palm Beach Families?

Collaborative divorce in West Palm Beach resolves every substantive family law issue under Florida Statutes Chapter 61 — through negotiated agreement rather than contested motions or judicial hearings at Palm Beach County’s Judge Daniel T. K. Hurley Courthouse.

Equitable distribution under Section 61.075, Florida Statutes, requires Florida courts to divide marital property equitably — weighing marriage duration, each spouse’s economic circumstances, and contributions to the marital estate. West Palm Beach collaborative cases frequently address Palm Beach County’s distinct asset profile: Wellington equestrian properties and acreage, Jupiter and Palm Beach Gardens waterfront real estate, PGA National retirement portfolios, and business interests concentrated in West Palm Beach’s professional and financial services sectors. 

Alimony in Florida is governed by the 2023 Alimony Reform Act, which eliminated permanent alimony and capped durational alimony at 50% of the marriage length for marriages under 20 years. West Palm Beach collaborative divorce gives both spouses direct control over alimony amount, duration, and structure — including arrangements that account for Palm Beach County’s cost of living and the financial interdependencies built across long marriages in established Palm Beach County neighborhoods. 

The tax treatment of alimony under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 eliminates deductibility for the paying spouse on all post-2018 agreements. IRS Publication 504 confirms the current federal tax treatment applicable to Florida divorce agreements finalized after December 31, 2018.

Child time-sharing and parental responsibility fall under Section 61.13, Florida Statutes. Palm Beach County’s 15th Judicial Circuit serves families across a geographically expansive county — from Jupiter in the north to Delray Beach in the south — where school district boundaries, commute distances, and extracurricular infrastructure vary significantly. 

A child specialist on the collaborative team develops parenting plans that reflect Palm Beach County-specific geographic realities. 

Child support is calculated under Section 61.30, Florida Statutes, using Florida’s income shares guidelines. The financial neutral models multiple child support scenarios — including the effect of different time-sharing arrangements on the monthly support obligation — so both West Palm Beach parents understand the financial implications of each parenting plan option before committing to final figures.

Carolann Mazza, P.A., handles divorce services across all five resolution areas for West Palm Beach families entirely through out-of-court processes. 

For a full explanation of what collaborative proceedings cover under Florida law, see the Collaborative Law Process Act, which details the statute’s scope and protections.

Which West Palm Beach and Palm Beach County Communities Does Carolann Mazza, P.A., serve?

Carolann Mazza, P.A., serves West Palm Beach families and all Palm Beach County communities as part of the firm’s South Florida service area. Collaborative divorce cases are handled for families in West Palm Beach, Palm Beach Gardens, Jupiter, Wellington, Lake Worth, Boynton Beach, Delray Beach, Royal Palm Beach, and surrounding Palm Beach County municipalities.

Palm Beach County’s diverse residential profile spans retirees in communities such as Century Village and PGA National, young professionals in downtown West Palm Beach and the Northwood District, and established families in Wellington and Jupiter with long marriages, significant real estate holdings, retirement accounts, and business interests. 

The collaborative model serves all of these profiles through one shared neutral financial professional rather than competing experts. 

For a full explanation of how the collaborative divorce timeline maps across each stage — from Participation Agreement through uncontested filing — the timeline guide details each phase.

West Palm Beach families navigating divorce keep control of financial outcomes and parenting arrangements with Carolann Mazza, P.A. Contact us today or call (954) 527-4604 to discuss your specific situation.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Carolann Mazza serve West Palm Beach and Palm Beach County clients? 

Carolann Mazza, P.A., serves West Palm Beach and all Palm Beach County communities — including Palm Beach Gardens, Jupiter, Wellington, Lake Worth, Boynton Beach, Delray Beach, and Royal Palm Beach — as part of the firm’s South Florida service area. Call (954) 527-4604 to confirm service for your specific location.

Where are collaborative divorce cases filed for West Palm Beach residents? 

Collaborative divorce cases for West Palm Beach residents are filed at the Judge Daniel T. K. Hurley Courthouse, 205 N. Dixie Hwy, West Palm Beach, FL 33401, as an uncontested dissolution of marriage — only after both spouses reach full written agreement on all issues entirely outside of court.

Is collaborative divorce recognized by Palm Beach County’s 15th Judicial Circuit? 

Collaborative divorce is fully recognized by Palm Beach County’s 15th Judicial Circuit under Florida’s Collaborative Law Process Act, Section 61.56, Florida Statutes, effective July 1, 2017. The Palm Beach County Clerk of the Circuit Court actively promotes collaborative divorce as a cooperative, private alternative to contested litigation on its official divorce page.

Does Palm Beach County require a parenting course before a divorce is finalized? 

Palm Beach County’s 15th Judicial Circuit requires both parties in a dissolution of marriage involving children to separately complete a Parent Education and Family Stabilization Course before the case proceeds. Collaborative divorce eliminates that court-mandated requirement — parenting communication and plan design are addressed privately through the collaborative team’s child specialist and mental health neutral.

How long does collaborative divorce take for West Palm Beach families? 

Collaborative divorce for West Palm Beach families typically takes four to eight months. Florida Academy of Collaborative Professionals data shows 78% of Florida collaborative cases reach full agreement within six months of the Participation Agreement signing — compared to 12 months or more for contested proceedings on Palm Beach County’s 15th Judicial Circuit docket.

What does collaborative divorce cost for West Palm Beach families?

 Collaborative divorce for West Palm Beach families typically costs $5,000 to $8,000 per spouse. Contested litigation on Palm Beach County’s 15th Judicial Circuit averages $15,000 to $30,000 or more per person when attorney fees, expert witnesses, court costs, mandatory mediation fees, and Parent Education and Family Stabilization Course enrollment are included.

Can collaborative divorce handle cases involving Wellington equestrian property or Jupiter waterfront real estate? 

Collaborative divorce handles complex Palm Beach County asset cases by assigning a neutral Certified Divorce Financial Analyst — credentialed by the Institute for Divorce Financial Analysts — to value Wellington equestrian properties, Jupiter waterfront real estate, PGA National retirement portfolios, and business interests jointly for both spouses, without competing expert witnesses arguing valuations before a 15th Judicial Circuit judge.

Does Carolann Mazza offer mediation for West Palm Beach clients?

 Carolann Mazza offers divorce mediation to West Palm Beach clients as a Florida Supreme Court Certified Family Mediator. Mediation uses a single neutral professional to facilitate negotiation, rather than a full multidisciplinary team with dedicated legal representation for each spouse — a cost-effective option for West Palm Beach couples who can negotiate without individual legal counsel throughout the process.

West Palm Beach families with real estate holdings, retirement assets, or business interests across Palm Beach County resolve equitable distribution, support, and parenting terms privately with Carolann Mazza, P.A., without a 15th Judicial Circuit judge making those decisions. Schedule a confidential consultation today or call (954) 527-4604.