Divorce can be one of the most difficult times a person can go through. Not only are you dealing with the heartbreak of the end of the marriage but you’ve got a range of issues to hash out with your soon-to-be-ex including property division, alimony and child custody. In very rare cases, both spouses will agree on all of these issues but for the vast majority, each one can become a major battleground.
Up until the 1990s, everyone just resigned themselves to the fact that divorce was nasty and, in order to get what you want, you’d have to steel yourself for a battle. Then came collaborative divorce, a new way of splitting that encourages couples to use mediation to come to an amicable agreement. It doesn’t always work but collaborative divorce has many upsides:
- It means you don’t have to go to court.
- It can save you both substantial money.
- It gives you a chance to keep your post-divorce relationship amicable, which is especially important when you have children together.
- You get to control the outcome, not the courts.
A collaborative divorce also doesn’t exclude you from trying other ways. In other words, you can try it and, if it doesn’t work, other avenues are still available to you.
If you think a collaborative divorce might be the right move for you, you may want to sit down with an attorney. Tell them your negotiating stance, including the things you want and what you’re willing to compromise over. Taking this step may save you from a drawn-out, contentious battle.