What is Collaborative Divorce Law?
Collaborative Divorce Law is a different
process for divorcing that can help you make a healthy, hopeful
transition from one stage of your life to the next based on your
family's unique needs and circumstances.
Collaborative Divorce
Law strives to provide clients with the support, information and structure
they need to reach agreements that are voluntary and of maximum mutual
benefit. To achieve this goal, collaboration begins with and emphasizes
education prior to negotiation, explores common goals in place of
divisive positions, and creates a safe environment for constructive
conversation. The emphasis is upon creative agreement rather than hostile victory.
Collaborative Divorce Law is designed to be less time consuming, less expensive and less
confrontational than traditional adversarial divorce. Clients are
better able to focus on pertinent issues because stress and anxiety are
effectively reduced.
Money saved in the collaboration can be used to
jointly engage the services of other professionals, such as financial
planners or tax accountants.
Collaborative Divorce Law resolutions are reached through a process in which clients have
more control and settlements have been designed to meet each party's
needs. These agreements are designed to be more sustainable over longer
periods of time.
An additional benefit is that the actual
collaborative process is more private than a contested divorce
generating court filings, transcripts and hearings in open court. If
the children decide to look at the court file in the future, all they
will see is the agreement attached to a simple divorce petition.
The non-combative atmosphere diminishes hostilities;
allows the divorcing spouses to preserve and enhance that which remains
of their relationship; and, allows them to learn to work cooperatively
during and after the divorce, managing finances and co-parenting children after divorce.