Divorce is often an emotionally charged and stressful process. The discord that led to a broken marriage can be heightened by the need to divide marital property and make child custody, visitation and support arrangements through litigation. For some people, collaborative divorce offers a less antagonistic process. At Hart Law Office, we can explain what collaborative divorce entails, and if you are willing to explore this option, we have the training and experience you need to follow this path successfully.
In collaborative divorce, you and your spouse each hire a lawyer for the express purpose of negotiating a settlement of all the issues that need to be resolved during the divorce. Attorneys trained in the collaborative process safeguard their clients’ interests while sharing relevant information. This avoids discovery disputes that often bog down matrimonial litigation and make it more expensive. Both parties can agree to bring in experts on financial matters, child development or other issues to help promote consensus.
As each spouse has their own attorney, any settlement agreement is at arms’ length and can be incorporated into the final divorce order. Collaborative divorce only works if the clients are willing to compromise, rather than insisting that they get everything they want. To encourage settlement, you and your spouse will sign an agreement stating that you will not go to court with the attorneys representing in the collaborative divorce process. You are under no obligation to accept the deal the attorneys negotiate, but if you and your spouse can’t come to an agreement, you will need to start over with new attorneys. If you do agree to a settlement, the attorneys will present it to the divorce court for its approval. Though we focus on reaching consensus amicably, our firm will work diligently to obtain favorable divorce terms for you.
For many, collaborative divorce has both short-term and long-term advantages over standard divorce litigation. This method of marriage dissolution is not only less combative, but is confidential, except for the end product. Because the attorneys are cooperating with each other much more and trying to settle differences without having to go through litigation procedure, clients can save substantial time and money, especially on attorney fees. Over the long term:
Though collaborative divorce is not for everyone, we can examine your situation and help you determine if this nontraditional method of marriage dissolution will work for you.
Hart Law Office represents Wisconsin spouses in collaborative divorces and other types of family law matters. Please call 414-271-1775 or contact us online to schedule a free initial consultation at our office in Milwaukee’s historic Third Ward. We offer weekend and evening appointments to better serve you.