The financial professional acts as a neutral party on the Collaborative team who assists both spouses in gathering all the financial information about themselves as well as the community they have built together in a supportive and nurturing environment. By working with a financial neutral, the couple is encouraged to work together to compile the expenses, assets, and debts of the family, with the focus of an overall picture of their financial situation. Through this process both spouses become better educated about the extent of their assets and debts, the options available to them, and how they can each achieve their financial goals.