Collaborative

Divorce

Divorce is hard on all individuals involved. Whether it only involves you and your partner, or if you have children, you may find yourself struggling to deal with the challenges it brings. This can be especially frustrating if you have to repeatedly return to court due to a contested divorce.

However, there are other, less stressful options available. One of those is collaborative divorce. This type of divorce involves both parties sitting down and trying to come to an agreement outside of court. While both parties may have individual lawyers, it is usually better to use a single expert to help with a variety of things. In addition to the attorneys, this type of divorce usually involves hiring a coach and financial planner to help.

Collaborative Divorce is a highly specialized form of mediation that produces all of the high-quality results of representation in court with expert witnesses. But it attempts to create efficiency that saves money over taking your case to court. Here are some of the main features of Collaborative Divorce:
Agreement Based: Collaborative Divorce takes place in a unique setting that strongly discourages lashing out, seeking revenge, and other emotional outbursts that are common in litigation. Instead, collaborative attorneys and experts focus the parties on win-win situations and shared goals, long-term consequences and fairness for each party. Collaborative divorce commits to resolving cases through agreement.

Expert Legal Representation: Collaborative Divorce allows you to have an attorney in your corner who represents your interests, can help you understand the law, and with whom you can counsel privately. Your lawyer can make sure all your divorce documents meet the highest quality legal standards and are done in a way that avoid having to return to court later.

Expert Financial Advice: At your option, get a Financial Advisor who is specially trained for the collaborative setting to take point your asset division instead of the attorneys, someone who can talk to you about investment value, and long-term financial consequences of different agreements. If appropriate, share the cost of the Financial Advisor with your spouse and save on attorney’s fees.

A Therapeutic Setting: At your option, hire a Collaborative Coach with a background in therapy and/or social work. Coaches can be hired to help the parties’ form parenting plans that are developmentally appropriate for their children. Parties can meet with the coach together to make the plan, again saving fees over meeting with both attorneys. Also, for difficult cases, Coaches can help understand and educate about the social / emotional issues that may be causing roadblocks in getting to agreements and can teach parties to communicate more effectively.

Overall Satisfaction: Participants in collaborative divorce report higher satisfaction with the process, less distress and worry, and better working relationships with their ex-spouses after the process has ended. These are all great reasons to choose Collaborative Divorce over litigation.

If you’re looking for a lawyer in Tucson, AZ, consider Attorney Stratton. Call and schedule a consultation today.