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Collaborative law involves more than just attorneys

On Behalf of | Mar 14, 2019 | Collaborative Law |

Florida residents going through a divorce may want to try to make it as stress-free as possible. After all, going through a trial is an emotionally and financially draining experience. Plus, the winner-takes-all nature of litigation can lead to an unsatisfactory resolution to your divorce. However, there are other ways to settle a divorce that may be more attractive than litigation.

One way to settle a divorce out of court is through collaborative law. In a collaborative divorce, each party retains an attorney, but both parties and their attorneys agree in writing to work together to reach a settlement to all their divorce legal issues. If any issues remain unresolved once the collaborative law process is over and the parties must go to trial, their attorneys must bow out of the case and the parties must retain new attorneys. This gives everyone an incentive to make the collaborative divorce process work from the get-go.

One advantage of collaborative law is that it can involve professionals other than attorneys. For example, a financial planner can help the parties in the property division process. These professionals can help the parties determine a fair way to divide financial assets and liabilities. In addition, real estate brokers can help parties appraise any real property they own and can help the parties sell real estate assets if that is what the parties choose to do.

If the parties have a child together, a child psychologist can assist them in developing a parenting plan that meets the best interest of the child. They can also help families smoothly transition into their post-divorce lives. Similarly, parenting coordinators can help parents hash out the details on how they wish to co-parent following the divorce. This involves issues such as decision-making rights and timesharing schedules.

As you can see, there can be many parties involved in a collaborative divorce that can help make the process successful. Parties negotiating a divorce settlement will want to make sure they have all the information they need to understand their rights and options. Attorneys and other professionals can provide those going through a divorce the advice needed to make an educated decision on their legal issues, so that a fair compromise can be reached.

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