Breaking up doesn't have to be hard to do
Facing the decision to file for divorce can be unsettling, expensive, time consuming, and extremely acrimonious. Even, attorneys, who have practiced in a variety of courts, have come to realize that the most wrenching and unpleasant of law practices is often Family Law. However, it doesn’t have to be that way – not for you, your spouse, your children or even your attorneys because Collaborative Law is a voluntary dispute resolution process designed to preserve the integrity and dignity of families in conflict – and it works.
Taking the toxicity out of divorce
There are many benefits to choosing collaborative divorce over conventional divorce including the fact that collaborative divorce is designed to take the toxicity out of divorce by negotiating a mutually acceptable settlement and having you and your spouse, not the courts, decide the issues.
You may be saying ‘I want to obtain a peaceful divorce, but I don’t see how that’s possible. ‘ The good news is, it is possible as the collaborative process offers you, your spouse, and your children support, protection, as well as the guidance of your own lawyers and other professionals without going to court.
All parties involved in a collaborative divorce (i.e., you, your spouse, your respective attorneys, as well as other professionals) are committed to reaching an agreement without going to court and keeping the lines of communication open by providing face-to-face meetings between spouses and their respective lawyers as well as other Collaborative Practice-trained advisors, and even neutral experts, if needed.
Collaborative Practice is designed to focus on the future
Although divorce is an ending to your marriage, it is also a beginning to a new life for you, your spouse, and your children. Collaborative divorce helps you anticipate and include your need to move forward, makes the future of your children a top priority, and thoroughly supports your family’s goals for a smoother transition to the next stage of your lives.
Working together to separate
In collaborative divorce, couples that have decided to end their marriage work with a team of professionals to avoid the often arbitrary and uncertain outcomes of court proceedings and to achieve a settlement that meets both spouses’ needs as well as the needs of their children. In other words, you and your spouse are working together to separate by focusing on finding solutions that work for both of you.
There's strength and privacy through collaboration
Collaborative attorneys and other Collaborative Practice-educated professionals are highly trained specialists. And, if you’re wondering if these specialists are second-rate, you don’t have to worry any longer as both you and your spouse will have the advantage of having access to highly skilled and regarded attorneys, whose experience and skills are not in any way diminished by operating outside of a courtroom as well as access to specialists who are tops in their field of expertise including family therapists, communication facilitators, child development experts, parenting experts, financial advisors, real estate professionals, etc.
The collaborative approach is extremely effective, affordable, and time saving
Collaborative divorce can suit all types of divorce cases ranging from families with limited means to families with above average means. In a recent survey conducted by the International Academy of Collaborative Professionals (IACP), and Crescent Research, an independent Dallas, Texas-based research firm, of the cases reported by clients using collaborative divorce 78 percent reported being satisfied with the overall process, with 39 percent being extremely satisfied, and 39 percent being somewhat satisfied. In other words, collaborative divorce is indeed a win-win situation for all parties involved.
In many cases, collaborative divorce takes much less time than traditional divorce, and, in most cases, costs much less. For example, the Boston Law Collaborative recently analyzed 199 of its divorce cases and found that collaborative divorce had a median cost of $19,723 while a divorce settlement negotiated by counsel had a median cost of $26,830, and a litigated divorce had a median cost of $77,746.
Happy endings do not have to happen only in fairy tales. For more information on the Bucks County Collaborative Law Group, contact us.