Smart Money shows how making joint decisions can cost less and feel better.
Aleksandra Todorova writes (excerpt):
The goal of collaborative divorce is to avoid that. “In a collaborative divorce, the decisions have to be made by the couple,” Stoner says. The two sides and their attorneys meet together and talk until they reach an agreement everyone deems fair. They agree to provide all information — such as financial records — voluntarily, rather than having their lawyers gather evidence. As a result, collaborative divorce can be significantly less expensive, Stoner says. Costs vary depending on the case, but while a typical litigated divorce could run as high as $150,000, collaborative would be closer to the $15,000 to $20,000 range, according to the International Academy of Collaborative Professionals (IACP).
The problem with the concept of “collaborative divorce” is that everyone “bargains in the shadow of the law”. As long as the practice of the courts is to award the children off to one parent, without regard to maintaing the frequency of contact, the impact on the parenting relationship, and maintenance of the bonds between one of the two parents and their children, this “collaborative process” takes place with a very serious threat weighing against one of the two ‘bargainers’.
I am all for having a collaborative divorce, which is why if I were to get a divorce I would choose mediation. I have been reading Ora Schwartzberg’s latest book “Divorce Mediation from the Inside Out: A Mindful Approach to Divorce,” just in case I decide to move forward and ask my husband for a divorce [for reasons I won’t bore you with]. I am very pleased with the approach that the author takes in this book, on divorce and feel it is the least expensive and best option for those getting a divorce.
This is an informative post for the divorce case. But the couples should have give another chance to leave together. The spouses can live a happy marital life if they open their minds to marriage helps instead of holding wrong and thinking patterns.