When you meet the person you love and decide to marry them, you hope to live happily ever after “till death do you part.” Sometimes, however, the marriage might fail to work out. If the marriage is no longer tenable and you and your spouse have decided to call it quits, you can handle your divorce in three ways: litigation, mediation or collaboration.
Collaborative divorce combines both litigation and mediation to address the financial, emotional and legal aspects of the divorce. It is generally a voluntary process that ensures that both parties receive all the information they require to make informed decisions regarding the terms of the divorce.
Collaboration divorce is founded on honesty and good faith. This means that both parties and their legal representatives must agree to participate in a voluntary and transparent process. Collaborative divorce is ideal for couples who see eye to eye on otherwise contentious issues like child custody, property division and child and spousal support.
So what benefits can you derive from collaborative divorce?
Not all divorces should be settled in court, where each party yells out how the other spouse contributed to the divorce. With an alternative yet effective method like collaborative divorce, the couple can avoid a protracted court battle. Here are some of the benefits that a couple can derive from collaborative divorce:
- It saves time and money
- Both parties get to enjoy their privacy
- Both parties get to enjoy peace of mind by avoiding a protracted court battle
- It’s good for the kids as they don’t get to hear their parents go after each other in public
So is collaborative divorce right for you?
Your marriage has failed to work for whatever reason. So you want to part ways, but without drama. There is no bad blood between you and your spouse. All you want is to end your marriage without much publicity and carry on with your life. If these describe your circumstance, then you could be a good candidate for collaborative divorce.