Collaborative Law Attorneys
Collaborative law is a fast growing alternative to the traditional divorce. In collaborative law the two parties and their lawyers (who must both be collaborative practitioners) agree that their fundamental approach to divorce will be characterized by respect, openness and fairness. This flies in the face of the traditional scorched earth divorces that so many unfortunate people go through.
In the collaborative approach there will usually be two lawyers, a mental health professional, and a financial professional who have all been collaboratively trained. These professionals will work as a team to help the parties reach agreement about how to separate their lives. The benefits of this approach are twofold: first, the parties will be able to begin to heal emotionally during the process rather than further inflicting emotional wounds on each other; second, the parties will generally save money in the long term because litigation is almost always more expensive than compromise.
In the collaborative approach the entire case is negotiated before either party files a petition in court. At the end of the process, after all the important matters have been resolved, the parties file a joint petition and the Court simply signs off on it.
It is important to keep in mind that children of divorce often receive the deepest emotional wounds. Children have not developed the emotional tools to process acrimony between their parents. Perhaps the greatest benefit of a collaborative approach is that it provides emotional protection for the children of the divorcing parents. For them, the healing process cannot begin quickly enough.
If you’re set on getting a divorce, you might want to consider collaborative law. The family law attorneys of Cohen & Winters are certified to help you in this difficult time. Contact us today for a free consultation.
