For over 20 years the worldwide Collaborative Divorce Movement has been devoting its efforts in educating the public on the benefits of this process to protect and preserve the co-parenting relationship, shelter children from harm in custody litigation and enable couples to uncouple in a civil, caring, and compassionate manner. Those efforts by you, me and CDT have created a greater demand for Texas couples to choose Collaborative Divorce as the preferred method to dissolve their marriages. Although the demand for the services of Collaborative Professionals has increased many fold, there are not enough cases to keep most of the lawyers and professionals as busy as we wish. There are few too cases for too many of us.
What can you do distinguish yourself? To set yourself apart from others? To have husbands, wives, and partners seek you out in a crowded space? To powerfully demonstrate you are one of the best Collaborative Divorce Professionals? To get something that speaks for itself without you having to say a single word? What is the one distinction you can get only in Texas because you are a member of CDT to demonstrate your professional excellence in Collaborative Divorce? The short, simple, unassailable truth is to get Credentialed.
The year I became Board Certified in both Civil Trial and Family Law, I was one of only 26 lawyers in Texas to have that distinction. Board Certification built my self-confidence for sure. But instead of telling war stories to potential clients to gain their confidence in me, all I had to do was show them my Certifications. My Credentials. My practice grew immediately. Personally, I no longer felt I had to prove to a potential client that my disability or being in a wheelchair would ever hamper my representation or advocacy of their cases. The Certifications were undeniable proof that I was one of the very best in my field.
You and I are borne with gifts from our Creator to be peacemakers, to resolve conflict, to heal with love and give hope to those we serve. We have a calling to be co-creators of a new order of generational change in the world and in our communities. We have discovered that our collaborative body of work provides the place to shine the light of hope and the love in us on others.
Being Credentialed or Master Credentialed will result in more clients hiring you because you stand out in the crowd. You have distinguished yourself. You are different than others who compete with you for the business you desperately want.
Another benefit of being Credentialed is that you will be retained by clients who are willing to pay more for the services you provide. It is true that the personal value of our work is not measured by the money we make, but by the difference we make in the lives of others. Every slice of life we sell to our clients can never be lived and sold again. There is nothing wrong in earning more from the higher net worth clients who retain us. That enables us to charge less or provide pro bono services to those who lack the resources to retain us.
We all know lawyers who advertise on their websites that they provide Collaborative Divorce services. Many of those have not been trained, done a single case or become a member of CDT or a local practice group. Stating on your website, on your business card, or letterhead demonstrates you are not one of those who use false advertising to get clients to retain them. The more of us who get Credentialed will raise public awareness of the importance of retaining a Credentialed Professional.
In the last year I have completed two multi-million dollar Collaborative Divorces with Norma Trusch. The fact that we were the only two Master Credentialed attorneys in Houston was a major factor in the clients hiring us.
Rarely do our clients regret choosing Collaborative Divorce to dissolve their marriages. Likewise, you will never regret getting Credentialed. Not getting Credentialed will be something you will always regret.
So, Distinguish Yourself, Shine Your Light, and Get Credentialed this year. Now is truly your time to shine.
