When you divorce, the outcome will have a massive effect on how easy (or hard) life will be post-divorce. For instance, making ends meet will be much easier if you have not lost most of your wealth to your spouse. Maintaining contact with your child will be much harder if your spouse is allowed to move out of state with them.
When you litigate your divorce, your attorney has a chance to argue your case, but the final decisions rest in the hands of the judge. Once they make their decision, you need to respect it, whether you like it or not.
Collaborative law allows you to retain more control over the outcome of your case. You can keep negotiating until you reach an agreement you find acceptable. It also tends to be cheaper, faster and less stressful than litigation.
Here is how collaborative divorce works:
You discuss things with your spouse and your respective attorneys
You tell them what you want, and they tell you what they want. Then, you look to meet somewhere in the middle. When you get to that point, you put it in a legal document and sign.
If you and your spouse are unable to agree through the collaborative process, litigation still remains an option.
What sort of things can collaborative law settle?
It can settle all aspects of your divorce, such as child custody, spousal maintenance and property division.
Collaborating with someone you disagree with enough to divorce might not be straightforward, but it is your life you are dealing with, so why let a judge tell you how it will be? Finding out more can help you decide if a collaborative divorce is right for you.