Is a Collaborative Divorce Right For You?

 Posted on December 00, 0000 in DuPage County divorce lawyer

Divorces can be a headache. If you have recently begun the process of ending your marriage, you might find yourself dreading the hours of meeting with attorneys and fighting your spouse in court that are ahead. Fortunately, there is a better way to do things. If you and your spouse feel that you can fairly and effectively create a divorce settlement that meets both your needs, consider taking the collaborative divorce route.

A collaborative divorce is a results-focused process that requires a divorcing couple to work as a team to end their marriage. It requires both parties to be able to verbalize what they want from the divorce and to be flexible with each other, compromising when necessary. Because of the tasks it requires from the divorcing parties, a collaborative divorce is not right for every couple.

How Does a Collaborative Divorce Work?

A collaborative divorce requires the divorcing couple to take a series of steps to end their marriage. These steps are as follows:

• Both parties must hire an attorney who is specially trained in collaborative divorce.
• Both spouses and their attorneys meet and discuss each party's goals for the divorce. Together, this team of four works out a document that covers these needs and legally binds both partners to their promise to respectfully work out their issues.
• Once the first document is signed, both spouses and their attorneys attend a series of meetings where they decide how they will divide their property, whether or not one partner will receive spousal maintenance and if so, how much, how they will divide their children's custody, and an appropriate child support agreement. This may be done with the guidance of various professionals such as childcare specialists and property appraisers.
• Once a settlement is reached, the attorneys create the necessary legal documents to divorce the couple and file them with the court. After these files are processed, the couple is legally divorced.

What Are the Benefits of a Collaborative Divorce?

There are two primary benefits that come with choosing a collaborative divorce: savings and control.

Couples who choose a collaborative divorce can save a lot of money by avoiding the costly, time-consuming litigation that accompanies a traditional divorce. Although couples working through a collaborative divorce work with attorneys, they spend much less time with their attorneys than couples engaged in divorce litigation. Less time with your attorney means more money in your pocket.

Couples who choose a collaborative divorce also retain a large amount of control over their divorce and its settlement. When you and your spouse work together to determine what is most important to each of you, you can draft a settlement that adequately meets both of your needs. Couples who opt for this type of divorce often report higher rates of satisfaction with their divorces and more positive feelings toward their former spouses than couples who divorced through litigation.

Learn More About Collaborative Divorce

A collaborative divorce could be right for you. Contact an experienced Aurora divorce attorney about your case. The right type of divorce for you depends on your case's circumstances. At the Law Office of Matthew M. Williams, P.C., we are here to help you sort through those circumstances and find the divorce method that works for you.