Is Collaborative Divorce Right for You?

We’ve all heard stories of divorces that are chaotic and emotionally arduous experiences. On the other hand, plenty of couples part ways without that sort of bitterness and spectacle. If you think you’d prefer to be the latter group, a collaborative divorce may be just the ticket for a smooth divorce.

What is a Collaborative Divorce?

Collaborative divorce is a way to avoid nasty confrontations and instead rely on the spouses to develop agreements peacefully and cooperatively as they proceed through the divorce process. Each partner has their own attorney who stays focused on the client’s best interests. Spouses are welcome to invite counselors, financial planners, and others to assist them on decisions associated with custody, time-sharing, property division and so forth. Throughout the process, skills are learned to diminish conflict—skills that may come in handy even after the divorce if and when issues related to parenting plans or other matters arise.

Multiple Benefits

There are many benefits to choosing a collaborative divorce process, although it certainly isn’t for everyone. Couples who can’t get along well enough to communicate will not succeed and will simply be further frustrated.  For those who can manage to work together, they can look forward to many advantages:

1. One of the best things about a collaborative divorce is that former spouses can proceed forward with their new lives with less antipathy and resentment. Although spouses may be adversaries throughout the process, they have their own legal representation, the climate is that of collaboration, and the process is generally significantly friendlier than what one typically experiences through a litigated divorce.
2. Another benefit of collaborative divorce is that the cost is appreciably less than a contested divorce. It can save thousands of dollars.
3. One more big bonus is the time saved! Instead of having to work with court schedules that can drag the process on for months, partners in collaborative divorce go into the process with an objective to work toward beneficial solutions for each side, and pre-scheduled meetings occur to accomplish that.
4. Finally, because both parties worked together to create the agreement, there is generally much less to worry about in terms of post-divorce litigation.

What are the Steps?

 The process really is quite simple!

1. Each partner begins in a meeting with their personal attorney to determine favored terms for the agreement and to decide what specialists, if any, should be involved in the process.
2. When that’s accomplished, the two sides meet to hammer out an agreement that satisfies both sides. This may take several meetings.
3. Attorneys will ultimately draw up a draft of the final agreement, which each party signs if they are on board. After that, it’s just a matter of getting a judge’s signature to finalize the divorce.

Is Collaborative Divorce for You? 

If you can work with your spouse and you both are capable of negotiation, a collaborative divorce may help you to get where you’re going more quickly, easily, and inexpensively. To discuss the possibilities, schedule a confidential consultation with the experienced Boca Raton family law attorneys at WiseLieberman in our office today.

Source:

forbes.com/advisor/legal/divorce/collaborative-divorce/