When most people think of divorce, they imagine two lawyers battling it out in a courtroom or conference room to try and earn a win for their side. However, it doesn’t have to be this way. Many couples are opting for a more considered and less divisive approach to their issues – a collaborative divorce.
We’ve shared these reasons before, but it’s worth repeating. If you’re considering divorce, there are a number of excellent reasons why you may wish to opt for a collaborative divorce instead of a traditional divorce, such as:
The Kids Come First: Divorce is painful, especially for the children. But when a couple opts for a collaborative divorce, the kids are given top priority. Coach-Therapists are retained to provide the little ones with emotional support and to assist parenting in understanding the kids experience.- You Save Time and Money: Trials are expensive, and divorce cases can grind on for years. Though collaboration can only move as quickly as the slowest party, it nearly always wraps up faster than a courtroom battle. It’s not cheap, but you’ll save on discovery, court costs, and other expenses associated with litigation.
- It’s a Fair Deal: One of the strengths of collaborative divorce is that it requires full transparent financial disclosure. Discussion of marital assets and debts is handled by the financial neutral who is retained by the Parties and is part of the collaborative team using their expert knowledge on tax advantages and better asset division. With everyone’s cards on the table, it’s easier to reach a settlement that both sides feel is fair.
- Your Privacy Is Protected: When a divorce goes to trial, the details of the marriage become public. These details can be disturbing, painful or worse for children, friends, business partners, and other innocent bystanders. In a collaborative divorce, personal information is kept private and out of the court’s records that might be accessible later. Collaborative process preserves the couple’s dignity and spares their circle any embarrassment.
- The Agreement Lasts: Collaborative process pushes legalese to the margins and allows a couple to focus on concerns surrounding finances, parenting plans, and other important topics in plain discussions. Because the experience is more often drama-free, it establishes a foundation on which the parties can build a workable post-marriage relationship. This is great for the kids, and it ensures that the basics of the deal will endure – even if things change in the future.
Divorce doesn’t have to be messy and divisive and end up so debilitating to the parties years after its over. By opting for a collaborative divorce, you can separate from your partner in a way that allows you both to move on with your lives without any animosity toward each other.
Divorce, legal separation and/or modifying your family court orders is a big decision and one of life’s major changes. Finding the best way to make your family law changes is possible through divorce mediation or collaborative law. People who use divorce mediation and collaborative law don’t have to go to court to get divorced or to change and modify their court orders. Parents and spouses are often much more satisfied with their agreements, they spend less on fees and they get faster results. Call McMurdie Law and Mediation at 480-777-5500 today to schedule a consultation.