Collaborative Divorce

Guiding You Through The Collaborative Divorce Process

Collaborative divorce is a different process from the traditional divorce process most people think of. In collaborative divorce, both parties agree to forego litigation and, instead, commit to working together with a team of professionals to find the best solutions for them and their family. Each person is represented during the collaborative process by his or her own collaboratively-trained attorney. The goal of collaborative divorce is to consider both spouses’ interest and look at available options to reach an agreement that is satisfactory to both parties. Working together allows both parties to address the issues and avoid time in court which can exacerbate the stress and expense of divorce.

Our attorneys take a team approach to help ensure that you get the most out of the collaborative divorce process. The professional team includes a collaboratively trained mental health professional to help facilitate the process including any issues involving children. Our goal is to make the process as efficient as possible. The team may also include a neutral financial expert to help everyone understand the financial issues and the impact of the options on the table. Crating settlement projections is one way to help both parties see the impact of the decisions that are being made.

“We can arrange telephonic or on-line collaborative divorce conferences when it is not possible for one or more of the team members to be physically present.”

At the outset of a collaborative divorce, all team members sign an agreement to resolve the issues without resorting to court. If either party wishes to litigate disputed issues in court, the original attorneys and professional team members must withdraw. This gives the parties, along with counsel, an incentive to negotiate and come to a workable solution.

Benefits of a collaborative divorce include:

• Crafting unique solutions for the family
• Resolving custody and financial issues faster by avoiding time spent litigating
• Avoiding the uncertainties of judge-made solutions
• Saving your family time and money
• Avoiding undue emotional stress