Collaborative Divorce: A Peaceful Alternative

Collaborative divorce is a peaceful alternative to a traditionally court-litigated divorce, and many couples are turning to the collaborative method instead of turning the end of their marriage into a fight. If you and your spouse are willing to try to work together, collaborative divorce might be the best step for you.

In the collaborative divorce process, couples and their collaborative attorneys agree to work together to resolve all of the issues of the divorce, including child custody, child support, spousal support and property division questions. Through this process your attorney and the other professions can manage the difficult conversations required to work through the issues involved in your divorce.

The collaborative divorce method brings in professionals such as financial planners to help deal with the financial aspects, and a divorce coach or mental health professional who assists in reducing stress and improving the efficiency of communication between spouses. Being able to understand each of your needs is important in this process.

You’ll also be able to keep the decision-making power in your own hands through the collaborative divorce process, instead of ceding that power to a judge. Going through a divorce oftentimes feels like your lives are spinning out of control, but keeping that decision-making power helps give you a degree of control over the process. You and your spouse know each other better than anyone else, and being able to make the best decisions possible for each other and for your children is important.

I have practiced family law for over 40 years and have seen the good that comes from the collaborative divorce method. I helped to introduce the benefits of collaborative divorce to Missouri in 2001, and have since seen countless couples successfully dissolve their marriages in a peaceful way.

Divorce does not need to be a fight. If you are in the Kansas City area and believe collaborative divorce is the best solution for you and your spouse, contact me today to schedule a consultation, or feel free to call me at (816) 533-5152 with any questions you have regarding your divorce and how I can best guide you through the process.