Why Consider Collaborative Divorce for a California Dissolution?

October 18, 2012

Why Consider Collaborative Divorce for a California Dissolution?

The word divorce usually conjures up mental images of couples bitterly arguing, protracted court battles and people nursing wounded feelings long after the divorce is final. However, more people are looking for an alternative way to end their marriages -- a method that might not result in so much emotional damage. People considering ending their marriages should know what collaborative divorce is and some of the benefits it offers over other ways of divorcing.

Collaborative Divorce Principles

Collaborative divorce offers an alternative to traditional divorce in that its guiding principles emphasize avoiding litigation as a resolution to issues. The three main principles of collaborative divorce are:
-Both parties must agree to refrain from bringing the matter to court
-Both parties must agree to fully and freely exchange information
-Both parties respect the highest priorities of each other and any children involved when reaching a settlement

Collaborative Divorce Process

In collaborative divorce, both parties retain attorneys who are trained in collaborative divorce. The attorneys also pledge to resign from the case if the matter should go to litigation, in order to ensure that everyone involved is committed to reaching an agreement out of court.

During the collaborative divorce process, each spouse meets with an attorney alone and then the spouses and their attorneys meet together to try to negotiate a settlement. The parties may also enlist the assistance of other professionals such as therapists, financial experts and child specialists in the process.

Benefits of Collaborative Divorce

Collaborative divorce offers people many benefits over more traditional methods. The cost tends to be less, since the parties split the costs of experts such as financial analysts and child specialists. In addition, Collaborative divorce is usually less time-consuming than a traditional divorce, which also helps reduce costs.

The parties have greater control over the final resolution in a collaborative divorce setting, since they are working together to make decisions instead of having a judge do it for them. People usually feel less stress and emotional turmoil in the collaborative divorce process compared with other divorce methods. People who have used collaborative divorce also report and increased ability to maintain a cordial relationship with their ex-spouses, which can be particularly important when two people need to continue to co-parent together after a divorce.

Talk to a Lawyer

Not all lawyers are trained in collaborative divorce, so if you are considering ending your marriage and are interested in collaborative divorce, consult with a lawyer who has the necessary skills and experience to assist you.

Article provided by Brave, Weber & Mack, APLC
Visit us at http://www.bravewebermack.com