Ellicott City Collaborative Family Lawyer
Collaborative divorce offers an alternative, less stressful way of resolving division of marital assets, child custody, child support, and alimony. It is also less expensive and faster than a traditional contested divorce. However, it is not for everyone. Collaborative divorce requires both spouses to communicate, cooperate, and compromise with one another. If you go into a collaborative divorce hoping to get everything your way, you will likely end up disappointed. Similarly, if you and your spouse are not on speaking terms, a collaborative divorce probably will not work. But for spouses who believe that they can get along well enough to discuss matters in a civil, amicable manner, collaborative divorce can save you a lot of time, money, and gray hairs. Our Ellicott City collaborative family lawyers can help you throughout the entirety of the collaborative divorce process.
The Collaborative Divorce Process
Collaborative divorce requires that each party has their own specially trained attorney who has experience handling collaborative divorces. The spouses, along with their attorneys, work with a mediator, and potentially a financial expert and mental health counselor, to work through any disputes that the spouses may have. Mediation allows for a much greater level of privacy than the court system, as none of what gets said is part of the public record. Throughout mediation asset distribution, child matters, and alimony are decided with each spouse’s consent. At the end of mediation, if one spouse still does not agree on a specific matter, or anything at all, there are no consequences—he or she does not have to sign or agree to anything he or she does not want to. However, if mediation fails, the next step is going to court, and the collaborative aspect of the divorce is over.
Why Many People Prefer Collaborative Divorce
The alternative to resolving divorce disputes on your own is having an impartial judge make the decision for you. In contested divorces that end up in the courtroom, this is exactly what happens—a person you have no relationship with, and who does not know you or your family, ends up making huge decisions regarding your assets and your children based on the evidence presented before him or her. Many couples prefer to resolve these issues themselves, because who knows these matters better than you and your spouse? Collaborative divorce, for this reason, can end with both parties being happier with the outcome than if they were to take their divorce to court. In fact, according to one study by the Academy of Collaborative Professionals, 77 percent of couples who participated in collaborative divorce were happy with the outcome. Collaborative divorce is also faster, and less expensive. Divorce is tough on kids—studies show it can cause anxiety, depression, substance abuse, behavioral issues, and other detrimental problems, according to rtor.org. An amicable, collaborative divorce can greatly reduce the level of stress and anxiety that children experience.
Contact an Ellicott City Collaborative Divorce Attorney Today
Our Ellicott City collaborative family attorneys at Weinberg & Schwartz, L.L.C. can help you throughout the entirety of the collaborative divorce process. Call us today at 410-997-0203 to schedule a consultation.
