Collaborative Divorce

Collaborative Divorce is a structured process for resolving a dissolution of marriage (divorce) out of court. This process can also be used for other family law cases, such as modifications, relocations, and paternity cases. Both spouses or parents, and their lawyers, sign a Participation Agreement in which they agree to resolve all issues in a structured, out-of-court process, instead of through court litigation.

There are tremendous benefits to this process for the spouses and their children. Some of these benefits include keeping legal fees and court costs reasonable, maintaining confidentiality over your private life instead of open court hearings, maintaining amicable relations between the parents or spouses for better co-parenting after the divorce, avoiding depositions, hearings, trials, and motions, and resolving financial and child issues with the help of neutral experts such as CPA’s and child experts.

One important aspect of Collaborative Law is that all financial matters, including all information regarding income, property, accounts, retirement, and all other assets, are exchanged in an open manner, and an expert CPA ensures that all finances are fully disclosed and fairly distributed.

Most couples who go through a litigated divorce feel as though they have been through a war, and spend large amounts of money, time and stress on the court process. Most people who use the collaborative process feel that they have reached a fair and equitable resolution at the end. They are better able to co-parent after the divorce.

In a collaborative divorce, both attorneys advocate for their client’s best interests, but they do so in a collaborative, interest-based way, rather than in an adversarial manner. All attorneys at The Women’s Law Group have been through special Collaborative Training and received Certificates of Completion. All our attorneys and staff strongly believe in the benefits of Collaborative Law, and have seen the benefits first-hand with our current and former clients and their children. Contact one of our attorneys for more information. You may also visit www.NextGenerationDivorce.com for more information about collaborative law in Tampa.