Is Collaborative Divorce Right For You?
You may have heard the saying that categorizes people into three groups based on their chosen topics of conversation. It says that people of above average intelligence talk about ideas, people of average intelligence talk about things, and people of below average intelligence talk about people. One might also classify people into three economic categories based on how their cases play out in family court. By this logic, the poor represent themselves in divorce and co-parenting disputes, the middle class hire divorce lawyers to represent them in divorce litigation, and the wealthy splurge on collaborative divorce. Collaborative divorce is the divorce equivalent of flying first class. It enables you to bypass the most unpleasant parts of the divorce process, such as having to quickly file a response to a divorce petition when your spouse takes you by surprise by serving you with divorce papers, much as first class travelers sleep in a reclining position during the flight and to take their pick of snacks, while economy class travelers sit in cramped seats with nothing to eat by the tiny bag of gluten free pretzels. To find out more about why collaborative divorce is becoming popular among high-net-worth couples, contact a Birmingham divorce lawyer.
Collaborative Divorce Helps You Save Time and Money, but Only If You Have Time and Money to Spend
In a collaborative divorce case, almost the entire divorce process takes place outside of court. Each spouse hires a lawyer, and then all four of them meet to sign a collaborative divorce agreement in which they commit to the collaborative divorce process. Then the parties negotiate until they have reached an agreement about property division and, if applicable, parenting time and spousal support. Sometimes they consult professionals such as accountants to advise them on these matters. When they have finalized their agreements, they submit these to the court and file a petition for uncontested divorce. The judge reviews the documents and signs a court order dissolving the marriage, thereby finalizing the divorce.
Most couples who engage in collaborative divorce are able to finalize their divorces within six months of signing the collaborative divorce agreement. Collaborative divorce also has the advantage of added privacy, as personal and financial details that would become a matter of public record if your divorce case went to trial remain private.
Is Your Ex Too Much of a Creep for Collaborative Divorce?
If the parties cannot reach an agreement through collaborative divorce, they must terminate the collaborative divorce agreement and start over by filing a petition for contested divorce. If this happens, they must hire different lawyers other than the ones who represented them in the collaborative divorce proceedings. Collaborative divorce only works when both spouses are committed to it and when they are both honest with each other. If your spouse has been concealing assets or has a history of bullying you into decisions, collaborative divorce probably will not work for you.
Contact Peeples Law About Collaborative Divorce
A Birmingham family law attorney can help you finalize your divorce without setting foot in a courtroom until the very end. Contact Peeples Law today to schedule a consultation.
Source:
alabamaadr.org/web/ADR/collaborativeADR.php
