In short: What are the benefits of Collaborative Divorce?

Collaborative family law focuses on all involved parties reaching a mutually agreed upon settlement of their disputes. The process results in valuable benefits. It creates a cooperative environment where communication remains open, which provides a setting where you can work with your spouse to meet your children’s needs — regardless of their ages. That helps set a tone for open communication and reduced conflict in the future.

It establishes a team instead of adversaries. Your lawyer supports you; your spouse’s lawyer supports your spouse. But you all work together and, in doing so, retain control of the process.

In matters requiring expert opinions, both parties can jointly hire one independent consultant. That helps shorten the duration of the case and reduce the overall expense.

You and your spouse shape the agreements together – which means you both are more likely to keep them. That diminishes the parental conflict the adversarial system generates and helps protect children from facing the anguish and divided loyalties that result.

You can schedule meetings without waiting for court dates. That means you generally spend less time and, as a result, less money to reach closure. It also means you reduce the fear and anxiety associated with court proceedings.

Your issues stay within the collaborative law setting. That gives you more privacy and greater confidentiality – and less stress during an already stressful time.

Collaborative practice is designed to be civilized, sophisticated, creative and respectful.  It is for parties wishing to find a solution to their separation rather than assign blame.  It is for parents who need and desire to find a way to co-parent their children despite their separation, and to minimize the negative impact of divorce on their children.  It is for people who prefer to be in control of their divorce outcome, rather than letting a judge decide.  It is for people who place value on a working post-divorce relationship with their spouse and who value quality of life over quantity of resources.   Lastly, it is for those who value privacy; couples in collaborative divorce are spared the airing of their dirty laundry in open court for all to see.