Two local attorneys and a social worker involved in collaborative divorce and mediation techniques presented a workshop on the topic at a conference of the Association for Conflict Resolution in Cape Cod, Mass. Hopewell Junction attorneys Kathryn S. Lazar and Robert M. Schwartz and Poughkeepsie social worker Micki McWade presented the workshop, titled "Adapting Collaborative Divorce Strategies to Enhance Divorce Mediation," at the organization's Family Section Conference, held from Thursday through Sunday. The three local professionals specialize in making these alternatives to traditional divorce proceedings available in the Hudson Valley. In collaborative divorce, the parties retain the services of divorce lawyers, mental health professionals and financial planners. All team members and the divorcing couple work together to ensure children have the highest priority and to achieve a respectful, dignified end to their marriage, Lazar said.