Most married couples worry about finances at times. When divorce occurs, it can be especially challenging to try to achieve a settlement without breaking the bank. Many people say they chose collaborative law divorces because it helped them obtain their goals in an economically feasible fashion.
In California and other states, the collaborative process is a form of alternative dispute resolution. It works best for couples in noncontentious situations. Both spouses must agree to cooperate and compromise as needed in order to achieve an amicable settlement. In short, a collaborative law setting is no place for hashing out differences in long, drawn-out battles; rather, it is based on peaceful discussion and willingness to avoid confrontation.
As opposed to the fight-and-win attitude that is often present in divorce litigation, collaboration is more of a troubleshooting tool where spouses work together to devise their own co-parenting plans, property division agreements and other related solutions. Each spouse must hire his or her own attorney. Spouses and attorneys must also sign a participation agreement, which is essentially a contract stating that all participants agree to use noncombative forms of dispute resolution. Further, if either party subsequently turns to litigation, both attorneys must withdraw from representation with each party responsible for securing new counsel.
An easy way to learn more about the process, including how it might keep divorce expenses to a minimum, is to discuss the topic with an experienced California family law attorney before choosing a course of action. Divorce is never easy but that does not necessarily mean it has to be a rancorous process. Many couples are able to resolve their differences and go their separate ways without investing exorbitant amounts of time or money to do so.