Collaborative Divorce Facts

The collaborative divorce process has many benefits for couples who seek to end their marriages in a positive, teamwork approach. It might seem confusing at first, but there are some facts about the collaborative process that make it easier.

Collaborative divorce is an alternative dispute resolution process. In order for this process to work, couples must enter into a legal agreement with their collaborative attorneys to work together to resolve all the issues of the divorce without heading into traditional litigation. Child custody, child support, spousal support and property division questions will all be discussed and unique solutions can be created to solve these issues.

An additional benefit of collaborative divorce is that it streamlines the divorce process through its interdisciplinary nature. Other professionals are brought in to help keep time and cost down throughout the process. A financial planner, who is financial neutral, will assist with gathering all pertinent financial information, and a divorce coach or mental health professional can assist in reducing stress and improving the efficiency of communication between spouses.

Divorce is difficult no matter what the situation is. However, when children are involved, divorce becomes even more complicated because it changes your family structure and how your family relationships work. Parents often know what will work best for their children. Being able to work through a divorce in an amicable way establishes trust that children need for their future.

And because collaborative divorce streamlines the divorce process, the overall time and cost investment is considerably less. Going through the collaborative process means that your divorce could be finalized in a few months, instead of a lengthy court battle that can take upwards of two years. Legal fees are considerably less in conjunction with the time it takes to complete your divorce resolution filing.

If you are in the Kansas City area and believe collaborative divorce might be the next step that best suits you and your family, contact me, Hugh O’Donnell, to schedule a consultation, or feel free to call me at (816) 533-5152 with any questions you have regarding the collaborative process and your divorce case.