Collaborative Divorce

Collaborative divorce is growing in popularity, allowing couples to achieve the best results with as little conflict or confrontation possible. This not only saves frustration, but time and money, as well. Spouses opting for a collaborative divorce each hire an attorney. The four then work together to reach the best arrangements for the future, addressing the same concerns that would be discussed in a traditional divorce. Such concerns include:

  • Child custody and visitation rights

  • Child support

  • Asset distribution

  • Marital debt division

  • Sale or possession of the marital home

  • Spousal support and temporary support

Rather than resolving conflicts in court, the couple and attorneys work privately. This reduces stress and anxiety and also allows for a quicker, smoother resolution.

The Benefits of Collaboration

The collaborative approach has plenty of pluses:

  • Privacy — Your agreement will be determined in private, with much less of a public record than that of a court settlement.

  • Time saved — Without formal scheduling of court appearances, the collaborative process goes much more quickly.

  • Money saved — Less time, smaller cost.

  • Less emotional turmoil — Working with your ex calmly and cooperatively in a non-court setting reduces the stress of a traditional settlement.

It should be noted that if, once the collaborative process is begun, it doesn’t work for you, the transition to a traditional divorce can easily be made. In this case, new attorneys will be hired, so no private matters discussed in the collaborative meetings can be used in the adversarial process.