If your divorce goes to court, you may be facing a long, expensive and emotionally draining legal process. Worse, the ultimate outcome of a trial may not be what either you or your ex-spouse would have chosen for yourselves or your children.
Collaborative divorce offers an important alternative. During collaboration, you and your spouse each work with your own legal representative. However, rather than fight it out in court, both sides agree to work together to negotiate solutions that truly work for your family.
1. More time to focus on what matters
Litigation can involve both long delays and strict court deadlines that can easily disrupt your day-to-day schedule as well as your ability to focus on the bigger picture. By contrast, the collaborative process happens on your schedule, allowing you more time to evaluate your options carefully and move forward at your own pace.
2. Less money spent on court and legal fees
Divorce court can be expensive, especially if your case ends up taking a long time to complete. By avoiding a drawn-out legal battle, you and your spouse may be able to preserve more of your assets to help build a stronger future for you both.
3. A chance to control your own future
During a divorce trial, the judge may have to make life-changing decisions based on limited knowledge of your family’s circumstances. Collaboration keeps the decision-making process between you and your spouse, allowing you to pursue unique solutions to complicated or sensitive issues.
If you settle outside of court, you still need to receive court approval. However, because both you and your spouse have worked toward a mutually agreeable settlement, you and your children may have a much better chance of thriving on your new paths forward.