Many people have a vested interest in making sure that their divorce never makes it to divorce court, due to the ridiculous expense of the court's time and the amount of money that legal professionals have to be paid. One alternative to divorce court is to try a collaborative divorce. This is essentially when two parties decide to get divorced and essentially hash out all of the decisions and child custody schedules themselves, with minimal legal supervision. Each party will have some legal counsel, but for the most part, the two parties do it themselves. There are three main features of a collaborative divorce.
1. The Two Parties Can Trust Each Other
This means that the relationship has not degraded to the point where the two parties are going to assume that the other is lying to them. One of the main hallmarks of a collaborative divorce is that both sides are obligated to disclose everything to one another, including changes in financial status, new partners, or hidden bank accounts. This is critical because, if some of the information is kept a secret, an agreement could be reached that is not entirely fair to one side. This would cause the collaborative divorce to collapse. By having both parties legally obligated to disclose everything, and by the two parties being able to trust each other, this collapse can be avoided.
2. Both Parties Will Help Each Other
If one of the parties makes a mistake, such as miscalculating the amount of money that the other party should receive, the other party will point it out. Because there is some legal council, the lawyers, such as Donald B Phelps Law, will also be watching for mistakes, but one of the main points is that the parties can work together in order to make sure that both sides are treated fairly. This emphasis on fairness is one of the reasons why the collaborative divorce can go very smoothly.
3. Everything in the Meetings is Confidential
Finally, the last aspect of the trust that both parties have to build is that they both promise to not disclose what goes on in the meetings until after the divorce has been settled. This is important because it allows both parties to be vulnerable and get their needs met without having to face the judgment of the outside world. Breaking this trust can cause the collaborative divorce to fall apart to the point of having to go to court.
Contact your local divorce lawyer to find out more about collaborative divorces.
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