There are many reasons why divorce is difficult, but one that you may find particularly intimidating is the prospect of a long, drawn-out court battle with your soon-to-be ex-spouse. Fortunately, there are alternatives to traditional divorce litigation, one of which is collaborative law.
Collaborative law involves a formal process that takes place out of court. It offers you many advantages over traditional litigation.
1. Problem-solving focus
Litigation turns your divorce into a fight in which there are a clear winner and a clear loser. Collaborative law takes a different approach, looking at your divorce as a problem for you and your spouse to solve together. This less adversarial approach helps to dial down the emotion often present.
2. Open communication
Conflict often arises because of ineffective or lacking communication. In a collaborative divorce, you and your spouse put everything on the table and discuss your issues in a safe environment. In addition to your attorneys, you may have other professionals present to help keep the discussion productive.
This open communication helps to keep small points of contention from escalating, thus minimizing conflict. This is better not only for you and your spouse but for your children as well.
3. Less time
Generally speaking, the collaborative process takes less time than litigating your divorce in court would. However, there are several factors that affect how long the process can take. The efficiency of open communication can help to streamline the process, but the more initial conflict is present or the more complex your situation is, the longer collaborative divorce can take.
Because collaborative law typically allows you to finalize your divorce in less time, it tends to be less expensive than litigation overall.
