Going through divorce is a stressful and difficult thing for everyone. However, there are ways to mitigate the stress, such as avoiding litigation i.e. taking the case to court.
In such situations, a couple could opt for alternative divorce methods instead, such as collaborative divorce.
How collaboration works
As Cornell Law School discusses, collaborative divorce proves a great option for those who do not need litigation. In this scenario, both parties in the couple will hire individual personal representatives to communicate on their behalf. All meetings about the divorce will happen with all four people present – the couple and their two representatives.
These representatives will negotiate on behalf of their clients in order to reach a mutually agreeable divorce outcome that everyone can find acceptable. They can also help their clients by answering any questions about the divorce process itself, or any other legalities that may come up in the course of the discussions.
Who does it work well for?
However, this option largely only suits couples that already have the majority of their issues sorted out by the time they go into the collaborative process. The couple should also have at least a base ability to communicate with one another without losing patience or getting into arguments.
Not everything needs to already have an answer or an absolute decision, but a couple should also have at least a vague idea of what they want to do for the important and high-conflict matters of divorce as well, like child custody or spousal support. Anything that can help the negotiations go more smoothly is a win for everyone involved.
