How does a collaborative divorce work?

There might be a preferable way for spouses to divorce than to argue in a Pennsylvania court. Not every divorce involves both sides wanting to fight for a particular outcome bitterly. While each side wants to achieve a desirable outcome, there may be a more amicable way to arrive at a result. A collaborative divorce might deliver a “win-win” situation for everyone involved.

Exploring a collaborative divorce

With a collaborative divorce, both spouses sign a “collaborative agreement: to negotiate a settlement. The negotiations provide an alternative to arguing in court and seeking a judge’s decree on the terms. Both spouses retain a collaborative attorney and work out their differences to arrive at a settlement agreement.

The process is not the same thing as mediation but does share some similarities. During the collaborative divorce process, both parties attempt to decide on asset distribution, child support, alimony, debt payments, and more.

If the two parties reach agreements during the collaborative divorce negotiations, the following steps involve filing for divorce. Upon officially filing for divorce, both couples go to court with an established arrangement. Arguing in front of a judge becomes unnecessary because the spouses already agreed on the settlement.

Opting for a collaborative divorce

Spouses might find working things out in the collaborative process might move along faster than taking the matter to court. Both spouses might wish to end the marriage and move on with their lives, and lengthy divorce court proceedings may impede such a goal.

Divorce could also cost both parties a great deal of money. Besides legal costs, the time dedicated to the divorce may detract from professional and other pursuits.

Divorce might become a highly stressful process for everyone, and a collaborative agreement might cause less worry and anxiety. Sometimes, working out disagreements and settlement terms together could cause less strain.