Collaborative Divorce
A More Peaceful Way to End Your Marriage
The Collaborative process is a less adversarial approach to divorce. It can help you reach a fair, transparent settlement while helping to protect your children.
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Lawyer Advocate
Each party hires his/her/their own Collaboratively-trained lawyer-advocate at the outset.
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Joint Meetings
The parties, together with their lawyer-advocates, will schedule a series of joint meetings to develop options.
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Interest-Based Solutions
The parties' emotional and financial interests, as well as the interests of their child, are paramount.
Greater control over the outcome
Unlike litigation, where a judge ulimately makes the final decisions, with the collaborative process, both parties work together to come up with a solution that works for everyone. This leads to more customized solutions that better fit the unique needs and interests of the parties involved. It also often leads to better, more secure outcomes with fewer mistakes.
Less Expensive than traditional litigation
The Collaborative process is often less expensive than traditional litigation. Litigation can be a costly and lengthy process, with legal fees adding up quickly. Here, both parties work together--with the help of professionals--to reach a settlement, which reduces the time and money spent on legal fees.
Promotes positive relationships between the parties
The Collaborative process reduces conflict and promotes a positive relationship between the parties. This is especially important when children are involved, as it reduces the stress and emotional harm that children may experience during a divorce. Collaborative divorce can help both parties feel heard and respected, which can lead to a more amicable relationship moving forward.
Litigation follows an adversarial process.
Litigation refers to the legal process where two opposing parties file a case in a court of law and present their respective arguments and evidence before a judge or jury in order to resolve a legal dispute. Thankfully, in family law there are no juries. But, throughout the entire process, each side is trying to weaken the other side's case while strengthening their own. Parties are pitted against each other. It can feel confrontational and hostile at times, which can lead to aggressive tactics. As you can imagine, litigation often begets poor outcomes, with more mistakes.
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More Entrenched
When a couple goes through litigation, they can become more entrenched in their positions, resulting in a breakdown of communication.
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Higher Fees
Breakdowns in communication can lead to → increased conflict, which leads to → higher legal fees. The financial burden coupled with the uncertainty of litigation can cause significant anxiety.
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Time Consuming
The adversarial process increases the occurrence of delays and instability that can leave you--and your children--in legal limbo for months or years.
