Going through a divorce is a traumatic experience for many people. Thinking about the various court appearances and putting your future into the hands of someone who doesn’t know you might be frightening. You do have other options that might help you to deal with the divorce without having to feel like you don’t have any control over what is going on.
Collaborative divorce is a way of dealing with the normal disputes of divorce without asking the court to step in. The out-of-court process lets you and your attorney meet with your ex and his or her attorney. Everyone would then work together to determine the terms of the divorce.
When you opt for collaborative divorce, you and your ex will sign an agreement about the matter. You will then use good faith as you work through each of the issues that is present. A reasoned and controlled session that goes back and forth on the issues in an effort to compromise will help you to get things resolved.
If you and your ex can’t resolve things after you have both given it an honest effort, you would still be able to turn to the court to make determinations about the divorce. If you are able to resolve things together, collaborative divorce can be a less expensive option to end your marriage. If you can’t resolve things and end up having to go through litigation, you may find that this is a more costly option because you have to cover the cost of the collaborative effort and the cost of the litigation.
It is important for you to carefully consider the options that you have for ending your marriage. Choosing the option that is best for your situation might help you to keep the stress to a minimum.
Source: FindLaw, “Collaborative Divorce: Overview,” accessed Jan. 03, 2017
