The process was the brainchild of Stuart Webb. He became an attorney because he wanted to help people, but he saw that his clients were unhappy about the entire process. In his first year of trying collaborative divorce only two of his 98 cases ended up going to trial, and his clients were much happier.and his clients were much happier.
The goal in a collaborative divorce is not to try to keep the couple together. That falls under mediation or marriage counseling. What collaborative divorce tries to do is defuse the emotions between the couple so they can focus on splitting up amicably, fairly, and as completely as their circumstances allow.
Collaborative divorce is often much cheaper than going to court. The costs of counselors and financial advisors can be much less than attorney’s fees. However, there is a catch. If the couple cannot come to decision and decide to go to court anyway, they cannot use the team they worked with to avoid a conflict of interest. Collaborative divorce has been called “divorce for grown-ups” for this reason. There are also cases where it is best to go straight to court, such as in abuse cases or in cases where one partner is manipulative.
When both partners can work together to split up, a divorce can go much smoother. Participants also learn coping strategies to deal with emotions that may come up after the divorce, especially for co-parents. For more information about collaborative divorce, contact Elise Buie Family Law Group, PLLC to schedule a consultation.
