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Collaborative Family Law
“Collaborate”
means to work with one another or to cooperate. The Collaborative Law
Institute of Texas defines collaborative family law as “a
non-adversarial process focused on getting families from dispute to
resolution efficiently, with as little financial and emotional damage as
possible, while securing an agreement that addresses their common and
individual interests.” Essentially, collaborative family law consists of
two people working together to reach the best result for them, and their
children, when faced with a difficult situation, such as divorce. It may
seem counter-intuitive to ask two people who have decided to end their
marriage to work together on such an important task. However,
collaborative law gives people the power to resolve the conflicts
involved in a divorce, and the conflicts after the divorce regarding
parenting decisions. According to The Collaborative Way to Divorce
by Stuart G. Webb, “research now reveals that how a couple conducts
themselves during a divorce has far greater impact on their children
than the act of divorcing itself.”
In
collaborative law, the parties, and their attorneys, agree not to go to
court. Instead the parties reach agreements based on “interest-based”
negotiation, working with their attorneys, a neutral counselor, and a
neutral financial expert. As Stuart G. Webb says in The Collaborative
Way to Divorce, “Stressing cooperation over confrontation and
resolution over revenge, the [collaborative] divorce is both highly
strategic and beneficial in that: It gives the couple greater control
over the outcome of their divorce; resolution is generally less
expensive and quicker than going to court; it benefits the children by
keeping them out of the controversy; and it helps the couple to maintain
a sense of integrity and respect, which is often a priority when
children are involved.” Through a series of meetings the parties work
with the team to create a final decree that meets both parties’ goals.
Collaborative
divorce “isn’t about ‘going easy’ on your spouse. It’s about getting
what you want while ending up with less expense, less stress, and
happier kids, without going to court.” (The
Collaborative Way to Divorce by Stuart G. Webb)
Collaborative divorce is about focusing on the end goal of a final
divorce decree that meets both parties' objectives.
For more
information about collaborative law, visit the
Collaborative Law Institute of
Texas or read
The Collaborative Way to Divorce
by Stuart G. Webb. Call Aaryn today at (817)
803-2620 to learn more about how collaborative law can help you.
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