Going through a standard divorce process is sadly a painful, challenging, and tedious process. After all, taking your cases to court is unfortunately costly, time-consuming, and emotionally draining due to the legal procedures you have to go through.
But you don't have to go through such drastic measures to separate from your partner. After all, there are other ways how you and your partner can settle things peacefully with processes that cost less, and with means where you don't have to damage your family relationships at all.
If you think it's the right choice for you and your family, you can choose alternatives where you don't have to take matters to court. Instead, you and your partner can peacefully settle things with a mutual agreement. For example, you can consider using the collaborative approach instead of a traditional divorce process.
A Collaborative Approach Lessens the Stress and Damages Caused by Divorce
Unlike common divorce processes, opting for a collaborative approach can lessen the stress and damages involved in the standard divorce processes. After all, if you and your partner have the means to end your marriage on a peaceful note, then it's suitable to go for alternative options like collaborative divorce.
Divorce is a painful process that touches on almost every aspect of people's lives. Some have never fully recovered from the fierce legal battle. At the same time, others suffer mental health issues years later to make up for it - all because they were too hotly contested or messy during divorce litigation proceedings which can be resolved amicably with enough compromise between both sides and the support of the right professionals.
These processes aid couples in getting access to beneficial solutions that end their marriages on good terms. So, if you feel like a collaborative approach is better for you, here's everything you need to know about the collaborative divorce approach and see if it's the best solution for you and your partner.
What is Collaborative Divorce?
The Collaborative Divorce/Collaborative Law approach is an excellent choice for people who prefer to avoid the emotional and financial drain of litigation.
Collaborating with your spouse/partner will allow both of you to focus on what is important to you and your family instead of having someone else decide, or make decisions without any input whatsoever from either person involved.
In a collaborative divorce or approach, parties will each be represented by their respective family attorneys. These spouses will then be asked to enter into a collaborative agreement that indicates their commitment to using the collaborative process to resolve issues without taking things to a courtroom, to focus on their goals, concerns, and fears, and to maintain status quo during the discussions.
In addition, depending on the circumstances, other professionals such as financial experts, mental health professionals, and coaches might be involved in several meetings to help you resolve your issues.
What Questions Should I Ask a Collaborative Divorce Attorney?
Now that you know what collaborative divorce is, your next step is to hire an experienced family attorney. Moreover, if you wish to proceed with a collaborative approach for your divorce, here are some questions you might want to consider asking your divorce attorney down below.
Is a collaborative approach suitable for my case?
A collaborative approach is highly recommended for couples who prefer to avoid litigation and want to focus on an outcome that is tailor to their family and their unique needs, and who are willing to come to a settlement with each other and can separate on good terms with the support of trained professionals to reach a mutually agreed-upon settlement.
However, for cases that involve domestic abuse, or other concerns a collaborative approach might not be the best approach. Additionally, if your partner is unwilling to voluntarily engage in the collaborative divorce process or mediation you are left with litigation as your only recourse.
But with the aid of professionals, pursuing a collaborative approach with a reluctant spouse might still lead to an effective solution in the end.
What benefits do collaborative divorces offer?
Firstly, collaborative divorces give parties involved the chance to decide the terms of their agreement for themselves instead of having the court, or the judge, decree for them. Because parties have control in their decision-making, they can easily express all their concerns in healthy exchanges regarding concerns and the terms of their settlements.
In addition, since the parties openly discuss their issues and come up with the proper compromises, there is no need for long-drawn-out court processes that drags out for too long, is costly and stressful and takes a long time for a judge to impose the much-needed decisions. In addition, ironically, the spouses often improve their communication and problem-solving skills throughout the collaborative process, which often results in a much improved co-parenting relationship post-divorce and decreases the likelihood of post-judgment disagreements and litigation.
Another reason why couples resort to the collaborative divorce approach is that it saves everyone's time. Because there are no complicated legal procedures involved, couples have preferred this process for this particular reason. Furthermore, parties can also set up the meetings for their convenience, unlike with court proceedings where you have to strictly follow the schedules for upcoming trials.
Another benefit of collaborative divorces is that they cost less compared to traditional divorces. Unlike costly trials, collaborative divorces are considered to be cost-effective. This is because your money directly goes into investing in solutions that you and your partner agree upon, and the process is more efficient and offers cost savings.
Moreover, the setting for this process is much more informal, providing a comfortable atmosphere where parties can openly discuss their goals and options to reach a compromise with the aid of their attorneys.
What will happen if both parties don't agree?
Collaborative professionals are trained as mediators, which means that you are working with a team of mediators focused on helping you reach a divorce agreement. However, in some cases, the clients choose to use mediation rather than the collaborative divorce approach. Sometimes, the couple chooses mediation because of one of the hallmarks of the collaborative process, the commitment of all of the professionals who sign the collaborative participation agreement, including the attorneys, that they will not be able to continue working with the couple if they leave the collaborative process and proceed to litigation.
How Does a Collaborative Divorce Differ from Mediation?
In the mediation process, the divorce process is facilitated by a mediator, who acts as a third-party professional between the two parties, and guides these parties in resolving various issues regarding child custody, distribution of assets and debts, support of the children, college expenses, any spousal support (also known as maintenance or alimony) and other matters. In a collaborative divorce, parties compromise and collaborate with the representation and help of their lawyers to come up with an agreement. However, mediators are required to remain neutral, and they cannot provide legal services to either of the spouses. Many mediators also do not allow the clients’ attorneys to be present during the mediation sessions.
Collaborative Divorce Attorney Near Me
An experienced attorney will assess your overall goals, your family's particular situation, your assets and debts, and your custody and support concerns to help you develop the best solution for your family and your case. For this matter, it's essential to hire a lawyer with experience in family law. And if you're looking for a reliable, experienced, well-respected collaborative divorce attorney in Northbrook, IL, contact Anna Krolikowska.
Anna focuses her practice in family law, in particular in collaborative divorce and mediation, and can significantly aid you in settling your issues. After all, Anna is an experienced litigator, mediator, and collaborative divorce professional that can provide you with suitable approaches. No matter what kind of dispute you have, Anna's knowledge and experience in family law will help you develop practical solutions to all your problems.
About Northbrook, IL
Northbrook is a small town located on the North Shore of Chicago, Illinois. The village was originally founded as Shermerville in honor of Frederick Schermer who donated land towards its first train station; however, due to an effort by naming officials, they changed its name some time ago so people would have a better reputation with others near them or maybe even coming here themselves because this place has everything you need! As I'm sure most everyone knows by now there’s one high school that serves both areas which we call " Glenbrook North High School". It opened back then (1952) when our population wasn't quite large enough yet but now? Our families grow bigger every day while still keeping their roots strong
Living in Northbrook Illinois comes with a variety of benefits. For one, the population is quite large and diverse, making it a great place to live if you’re looking for a culturally rich experience. Additionally, there are plenty of places to visit and things to do in this city – ensuring that you never run out of things to keep you busy. Finally, the cost of living in Northbrook is relatively low when compared to other major metropolitan areas in the country. If you’re considering moving to Illinois, Northbrook should definitely be at the top of your list!
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