Collaborative Divorce: A Lasting Settlement Without Court Intervention

Collaborative divorce allows you to create a lasting divorce settlement without court intervention. The collaborative method is completely different from a  traditional divorce, that is litigated in court. 

 

As a collaborative divorce lawyer, I’ve seen couples create a thoughtful and creative outcome for all members of the family during the collaborative divorce process. Parties avoid battling experts and duplicate costs by working together to obtain information needed to make informed decisions.

 

The collaborative method relies heavily upon honesty, transparency, and the ability to work together to create the best resolution possible without fighting through the process. If you and your spouse are still able to work together, collaborative divorce might be the best option for you.  

 

During the collaborative process, each spouse is represented by a collaborative divorce attorney. At the beginning of the process, each spouse signs a participation agreement and agrees to openly and honesty share all relevant information necessary to address the financial and legal issues of their case. No legal document are filed with the court until there is an agreement on all issues to protect your privacy.

 

 

All negotiations are handled and conducted in six-way meetings that include you, your spouse, both you and your spouse’s collaborative attorneys, a divorce coach and a financial neutral. A divorce coach is used to facilitate effective communication tips and get spouses looking at the other person’s needs as well as their own, and see if there is a middle ground where both can be happy. A financial neutral gathers all the pertinent financial information and streamlines the process for your individual attorneys. 

 

The goal of each six-way meeting is the create acceptable solutions for your divorce needs such as division of assets/debts, a parenting plan for children and future financial arrangements. The setting is safe and structured. In this way, you and your spouse are able to create unique solutions to your needs. After all, no two marriages are alike. What works for one marriage may not work for yours when it comes to divorce.

 

If you are in Overland Park, KS and believe collaborative divorce is the best option you can make for you and your spouse,  contact me,  Elizabeth Hill, today to  schedule a consultation at  The Hill Law Firm, P.C. or feel free to call  (913) 381-1500 with any questions you have regarding collaborative divorce. I would be honored to walk you through this next phase in your life.