Members of Central Florida Collaborative Divorce Wendy Aikin and Paul Shafranski were recent guests on The Respectful Divorce podcast discussing the value of the no-court Collaborative Divorce process and the upcoming Divorce With Respect Week® initiative. The Respectful Divorce Podcast features divorce professionals to explore the different divorce options for untying the knot.
“When I found out about the Collaborative Divorce process I converted my firm to a collaborative practice because I was tired of litigation, it didn’t work for families, it didn’t fit, it didn’t feel right and it certainly didn’t help children,” said Aikin “It wasn’t building a better future with a reconfigured family for these folks, so we committed to change over to the Collaborative Divorce process which is much more humane and kind.”
Divorce With Respect Week® is a nationwide initiative from March 3-9, 2025 to educate couples about options for divorce like the Collaborative Divorce process. Collaborative Divorce is an option that commits to keeping the divorce out of court.
“In a collaborative case, you can have deeper conversations and problem solve issues in the divorce that you can’t get with litigation,” said Shafranski. “Litigation is a very one size fits all approach for clients and attorneys, while Collaborative Divorce can be tailored to the needs of the clients.”
Central Florida Collaborative Divorce wants to empower families to divorce privately, efficiently, and respectfully. Their mission is to build awareness in the community of the Collaborative Divorce process. To learn more about Central Florida Collaborative Divorce, visit the Central Florida Collaborative Divorce website.
To listen to this episode of The Respectful Divorce Podcast, go to the Divorce With Respect Week 2025 episode on SoundCloud.
During Divorce With Respect Week® Collaborative Divorce professionals in Florida and across the nation will offer free 30 minute divorce consultations. To book a free consultation with a member of Central Florida Collaborative Divorce, go to www.divorcewithrespectweek.com, where you will find a list of all participating professionals throughout the United States.
Paul specializes in Collaborative Family Law and finding ways to amicably settle issues for families in crisis. Paul also focuses on appellate law, as he spent over two years serving as a Judicial Law Clerk at the Fourth District Court of Appeal for Judge Cory Ciklin. Paul is experienced in appellate motion practice, procedural issues as well as substantive briefing, and is available to discuss potential appellate issues during litigation and to prosecute and defend an appeal in Florida.
In addition to the above-mentioned interests, Paul is a member of the Orange County Bar Association, where he is a former Co-Chair of the Civil Rights Law Committee. Paul is also a member of the Central Florida Family Law Inn of Court, where he moderates the book club, as well as various voluntary bar associations. Paul is an Accredited Collaborative Professional through FACP, a Board Member for Central Florida Collaborative Divorce. Paul considers volunteer work vital and serves as a volunteer Guardian Ad Litem for the Orange County Bar Association’s Legal Aid program.
Wendy Aikin
Wendy is a founding member of Central Florida collaborative group having served as President for 11 years. With her decades of family law experience including over 15 years as an active collaborative law practitioner, Wendy is known for her unique ability to see the big picture and suggest creative solutions. Her reputation is one of being an even-tempered, thoughtful, calming influence in complex and difficult family law cases.
Wendy’s extensive background in collaborative law and family law mediation help her guide clients respectfully to solutions that preserve the family relationships while minimizing damage to children.
