KDKA reports on the benefits of collaborative divorce and the growing number of couples seeking divorce with dignity.
Sonni Abatta reports (excerpt):
It’s divorce without the judge.
The collaborative divorce takes that third party out of the process and keeps control strictly in the hands of the couple.
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Many more divorcing couples are discovering this option as they look for peaceful and sometimes quicker ways to divorce.
“It’s basically self directed,” said collaborative lawyer Jackie Stevens. “The attorneys sit there as advisers. That’s their sole purpose.”
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Tailoring their finances to their exact preferences is one benefit of going the collaborative way.
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There are some things to keep in mind if you’re considering divorcing collaboratively:
1. If you can’t hash it out in collaboration, you’ll be sent back to court to litigate with a judge.
2. Hourly billing: It’s the same as if you were in court. But since you determine the pace of your case, theoretically, cost savings can be a reality.
3. The process works best for amicable couples.
Collaborative divorce seems to be growing and growing in popularity and I really like that divorce is becoming more personalized for the couple. Each situation is different and therefore each divorce is different so couples should have the opportunity to find a process of divorce that works best for them.
Just my two cents,
Ann Marie Miller
Thanks for alerting parents to the many advantges of Collaborative Divorce. I am a big supporter of this more enlightened approach.
My own experience more than a decade ago led to my writing a guidebook for parents on how to create a storybook with family photos and history as a successful way to have the initial break the news conversation. It’s called How Do I Tell the Kids about the Divorce? A Create-a-Storybook(TM) Guide to Preparing Your Children — With Love!
Best wishes,
Rosalind Sedacca, CCT