With the financial costs of getting a divorce skyrocketing, the legal field has adapted to try to give divorcing couples affordable options. Some of these options play with different ways of dispute resolution that do not require a court’s intervention.
One of these options is a collaborative divorce.
What is a Collaborative Divorce?
In a collaborative divorce, both you and your spouse hire your own lawyer, just like in a litigated divorce. However, once hired, these attorneys and the represented spouses then sign a collaborative participation agreement, which does three things:
- It requires each spouse to work in good faith to resolve the separation in a mutually-agreeable way;
- It requires each spouse to voluntarily disclose information that is relevant to the divorce; and
- It terminates the attorneys if a resolution is not reached, and prevents them from representing either spouse in any subsequent litigation stemming from the divorce.
What Happens During a Collaborative Divorce?
Once the collaborative participation agreement is signed, you and your attorney meet to discuss your goals and outline your interests in the separation. You also decide which documents and other evidence you will need to provide to make the sessions move along smoothly.
After this initial meeting, you and your attorney schedule collaborative sessions with your spouse and his or her attorney. During these sessions, both sides provide the information necessary to have meaningful and accurate discussions about the many issues surrounding a divorce, including dividing your marital assets, alimony, and child support and custody.
These sessions are scheduled and held until there are no other issues to be resolved. At this point, you and your spouse are able to draft a divorce agreement you can both sign with confidence and hand over to the court for its approval.
What are the Benefits of Collaborative Divorce?
A collaborative divorce resolves the disputes that arise from your separation without the intervention of the courts of New Hampshire. This reduces costs, provides flexibility, and speeds up the process significantly.
By allowing you and your spouse and both attorneys to meet without court supervision, you can schedule sessions at your own convenience, rather than let the court dictate when the meetings occur. Not only does this provide a flexibility that is impossible in a litigated divorce, it also lets your separation move at your own pace, speeding up the process considerably. Additionally, without the rigors and demands of the court, you can count on your legal expenses dropping.
Collaborative Divorces at Tenn And Tenn, P.A.
Choosing to divorce from your spouse is not a small, simple, or easy decision. It should not also be one that breaks your bank or takes years to resolve.
The alternative dispute resolution attorneys at the Manchester law office of Tenn And Tenn, P.A. use collaborative law to resolve divorces in the State of New Hampshire. Contact us online or call us at (888) 332-5855 for the legal help you need at this difficult time in your life.