Over the years, couples and family law attorneys have begun to look for alternatives to traditional litigation to achieve a final divorce agreement. Regardless of what you see on TV or in the movies, there are other ways to handle the divorce process without the tears and courtroom drama. One method that has become popular is collaborative divorce, a unique process that has many advantages over litigation.
The main difference between a collaborative divorce and litigation is that in the case of collaborative divorce, the spouses (and their lawyers) sign an agreement to withdraw from the court proceedings. To help you get a better idea of how collaborative can benefit you and your family during your divorce, we’ve put together a few reasons why many couples prefer a collaborative divorce:
Collaborative divorce avoids legal battles.
It reiterates that divorce should not devolve into loud litigation. Such actions can increase the pain, heartache, and stress that are often associated with this process. The general tone and behavior of parties engaged in collaboration are markedly different from a contested divorce, which almost always paves the way for a relatively smooth process.
You still get the benefit of an attorney.
In a kind of best-of-both-worlds scenario, both spouses still retain attorneys in a collaborative divorce to help manage the process and advocate for each side. However, attorneys often do not engage in the hostile or aggressive behavior you sometimes see in court. In a collaborative divorce, your attorney is there to ensure that you at least make a solid case for your wishes while promoting an atmosphere of cooperation and respect.
Your children are mostly protected from the divorce process.
Our firm understands that your children are your greatest assets and that it is in their best interests to experience little stress and anguish during your divorce. The collaborative divorce process involves neutral third-party experts who provide opinions on best practices; one of these professionals is usually a child specialist, who can advise you and your spouse on how to help your children through this process. A collaborative divorce emphasizes the overall well-being of your children.
Collaborative divorce is time- and cost-efficient compared to traditional litigation.
If you and your spouse decide to fight it out in court, the process will be quite lengthy. For example, divorce litigation requires a discovery period in which both parties request and provide information and documents that may be relevant to the divorce agreement. This can take up to six months. In contrast, collaborative divorce has a relatively free flow of information, reducing overall time and cost.
Conclusion
At Your Family Matters, P.A., we strongly believe in the power of collaborative divorce for many reasons. Our team is focused on providing you with efficient representation in the collaboration while influencing the overall positive and productive process. Interested? Contact us by calling (941) 275-2785 or click here to schedule a free session.