There are many benefits to choosing collaborative divorce instead of employing an adversarial approach to marital dissolution. Spouses may have an easier time shielding their children from the tension of divorce when they work with each other instead of fighting. They will also have more direct control over how they divide their resources and any parenting responsibilities they may share than they would if they litigated their situation.
Additionally, collaborative divorce can actually be a very cost-effective solution for marital dissolution. Although collaborative proceedings often involve bringing in additional outside professionals, including a divorce coach and a financial advisor, the process is often more affordable than litigated divorces.
Divorce coaches and financial advisors cost less
Skilled professionals who need state licensing typically charge a premium for their services. Financial advisors and divorce coaches often charge more than $100 an hour for their services. However, when considering that lawyer costs are often triple that per hour and there would be two lawyers handling all of the details, the cost of working with outside professionals can be far lower.
Having a financial advisor and a divorce coach review records from the marriage and facilitate a settlement will cost less than having the lawyers for both spouses perform the same review. These lower-cost professionals can also potentially help the spouses keep a focus on their personal priorities and long-term goals instead of becoming so focused on conflict or feeling like they win that they make poor decisions throughout the process.
Not only are the costs lower, but the spouses will typically share those costs for the neutral support services that they receive instead of needing to fully absorb them individually, as they would need to do when pursuing an adversarial divorce. Often, such cases require outside professionals, like forensic accountants, but each spouse will have to pay for the experts that they hire instead of dividing the total costs between the two spouses.
Divorcing spouses who choose to partner with professionals capable of analyzing marital circumstances and facilitating compromise may potentially set themselves up for faster, less stressful and ultimately more affordable divorce proceedings. Exploring collaborative divorce and other litigation alternatives may help those who are preparing for divorce approach the process with more dignity and maintain more control over the outcome and its total costs.
