A high-conflict divorce may be a mistake

High-conflict divorces often are a result of bad communication. It, therefore, makes it difficult to communicate effectively. When you cannot communicate in a divorce, it makes it impossible to reach agreements outside of the court. It causes stress for everyone, including your children. In the end, it usually means the court makes all the decisions in your case. For the good of everyone, it is ideal if you can avoid a high-conflict divorce situation. 

If you think your divorce may have issues with conflict, there is an option you might want to consider. According to the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy, collaborative divorce can often help in situations where a couple is having communication issues. 

The basics 

In a collaborative divorce, you each have an attorney. You create a formal and legally binding agreement that you will work through collaboration to settle your divorce outside of the courtroom. This means that you must come to an agreement on all issues and present a divorce settlement to the court for final approval. You cannot go to the court with unresolved issues that the judge will need to decide. 

If you break the agreement and must go to court, then you lose your attorneys. The attorneys sign on only for the collaborative divorce. They cannot represent you in a court battle. 

The benefits 

One of the reasons why a collaborative divorce works well in high-conflict divorce situations is because it demands working together. You really have no other choice because you will lose your attorney and have to start all over if you refuse to work together. 

In addition, the process uses a variety of professionals who help move things along. Accountants, for example, come in to help with the financial aspects. You also have access to counselors who can assist with issues that come up that could derail the process.