What is a Collaborative Divorce?
Collaborative divorce is an excellent choice for couples who want to make informed decisions. It involves both parties retaining attorneys to help them with their cases. Moreover, the collaborative divorce team includes financial and mental health specialists and a child specialist. Since collaborative divorce involves a team effort, it can help couples establish a strong foundation for their children.
Benefits
Some benefits of a collaborative divorce NJ are that you will spend less time negotiating, filing motions, and seeking temporary orders. Instead, you can focus on working on important issues. Moreover, you will avoid the high litigation costs, and your collaborative divorce will be less expensive. And because it’s voluntary, you’ll likely be happier with the process results, especially if you have children.
Costs
Using a neutral, collaborative divorce professional can help couples reach deep resolution and keep costs down. Litigation costs more and requires additional experts, preparation, and lost time. The process is also less expensive than litigation and leaves couples in a better position than when they went to court. The costs of a collaborative divorce vary greatly based on the complexity of the divorce. A collaborative divorce can cost thousands less than typical litigation.
The cost depends on how complex the divorce is and how quickly the parties can settle their differences. While collaborative divorce is less expensive than traditional litigation, it involves multiple professionals, and the process can be complex.
When comparing prices between collaborative divorce and litigation, one must consider the fees of mental health professionals who can help you cope with the emotional stress of the situation. While not legally required in collaborative divorce, these professionals are helpful in almost every divorce, particularly in cases involving children.
Drawbacks
While there are many benefits to a collaborative divorce, there are also several disadvantages. One drawback is that it may cost more than a court settlement, especially when bringing specialists. Also, the collaboration will fail if one partner is untruthful or untrustworthy. Association isn’t neutral, and there is no impartial moderator like in divorce mediation. Additionally, couples may need to hire new divorce attorneys if the process fails.
If the parties cannot reach an agreement, one of the attorneys must withdraw and find new representation. However, collaborative divorces are more likely to produce a fair settlement than a court-based divorce. Additionally, the two attorneys may charge a lower fee than a traditional divorce, which may be an advantage for some couples.
Trusting The Process
One of the key elements of collaborative divorce is trusting the process. The collaborative process relies on a team approach that involves the divorcing couple and unbiased professionals such as financial experts and divorce coaches.
The combined team meets regularly to discuss the issues and reach a mutual agreement. During the process, both partners agree to commit to following the collaborative process and honor the terms of their contract. Throughout the process, the joint team exchanges information.
When trust is absent in a marriage, it can be challenging to trust the collaborative divorce process. A lack of confidence can be a sign of a more significant problem. For example, if one spouse has consistently acted dishonestly in business dealings, they might not be as trustworthy in a collaborative divorce. Another sign of distrust is a spouse who has not been able to honor their obligations.