Key Points in Making Collaborative Divorce a Success

Posted on by BreezeMaxWeb

Divorces are often messy and cause a lot of stress. A collaborative divorce is an easier way for both parties to put the past behind them and move on with their lives. It’s also easier on the children, if the couple has any, and will save you both time and money so that you can start a new chapter in your life.

In order for a collaborative divorce to be a success, certain elements have to be considered to make the divorce tolerable. If you’re considering a collaborative divorce, keep the following points in mind to help you with the process:

  1. Trust the team around you. Collaborative divorce makes use of a team of people, including financial advisors, accountants, child counsellors and your lawyer. Each person brings their expertise to the case, and while it may seem overwhelming at first, it’s a great way of handling all the issues in great detail so that nothing is left unresolved. Instead of having just a lawyer, you have a team of people working to make your divorce process as smooth as possible.
  2. Arrive prepared for each meeting. Do your homework and have all of the requested paperwork ready when you arrive to your meetings or sessions to make the process faster and easier. Your lawyer may request a list of assets or financial documents, for example. Take the time to prepare these in advance so that there are no delays.
  3. Remember that it’s not a competition but rather a compromise so that the best outcome can be reached for all parties involved. There is no winner and everyone benefits from this process because it’s faster and more affordable than litigation. The goal is to find solutions for all aspects connected to the divorce as opposed to having a winner and a loser.
  4. While it can be difficult, do your best to listen to your spouse and hear their point of view. In a collaborative divorce, the focus is on both parties so that fair solutions can be reached that are desirable for all. This means listening to the other side and trying to understand their feelings as well. This will help come up with solutions that both parties are fine with.
  5. Ask your lawyer as many questions as you need to. It’s important that you’re comfortable during the process, so if you need clarification regarding a topic or a better explanation of a matter being discussed, ask for a break and talk to your lawyer privately for a better understanding. Your lawyer should be able to answer all of your questions and address any concerns so that you feel comfortable.

Clean Divorce wants to help put this difficult chapter behind you. If a collaborative divorce is an option you wish to explore or require divorce mediation or a legal separation agreement, Clean Divorce can help! If you’re ready to move on, give them a call today!

5 Key Reasons to Choose Collaborative Divorce

Posted on by rahul

When people get married, they don’t do so with the thought that they may get divorced one day.  When people think of divorce, they usually think of the nasty divorces that they see play out on television and in the movies…where exes are fighting over assets and child custody.  Fortunately, that isn’t the only option.  Unfortunately, many people aren’t aware of the other option, which is Collaborative Divorce.

These are the top 5 key reasons why people choose Collaborative Divorce:

(1.) Stay Out of Court

Divorcing Collaboratively means staying out of Court and keeping your records private.  You meet privately with your spouse and lawyers to negotiate, make decisions that are best for all involved, and settle amicably. Read more here about keeping divorce records private.

(2.) Save Time

Taking a divorce to Court could potentially take years, and who has time for that?  Collaborative Divorce could take less than six months. The actual amount of time depends on each individual case.

(3.) Be in Control

Wouldn’t it be better for you and your ex to make the decisions instead of relying on a Judge to step in?  When a Judge decides what is going to happen, you can’t just go and change the outcome if you don’t agree with it.  It’s iron-clad.  That is the whole point of going to Court after all.

(4.) Make Things Easier on the Kids

If you have kids, it’s a good idea to put your ego aside and think of what would be in their best interest in terms of your divorce.  This is because divorce can be traumatizing enough without escalating the conflict even more.  It is much healthier for kids to be able to see their mom and dad working through things in a mature fashion.  This will also help them become more resilient through the changes that come along with divorce. Read more about talking to kids about separation and divorce.

(5.) Less Stress

Working together is much easier on both parties than working against each other in the adversarial Court process.  Also, with the shorter duration that it takes to come to a resolution (as compared to divorcing in Court) it also enables spouses to move on faster.  Who wants to carry all of that extra stress on their shoulders for longer than it has to be?

If you are located in New Westminster or the Vancouver area, call Rahul at Clean Divorce for a FREE 20-minute initial consultation for Collaborative Divorce.

Choose Collaborative Divorce and Keep Your Divorce Records Private

Posted on by rahul

Going through a divorce is obviously a very stressful process, and what can make it even more emotionally and mentally taxing, would be to have your divorce records available to the public eye.  One of the biggest advantages of choosing Collaborative Divorce is that it keeps all of the details of your divorce private.

If your case is litigated in the court system, members of the public can find out all details of your case, including your children.  Chances are you wouldn’t want relatives or your kids reading up on every detail, especially when the divorce becomes very messy and there is a lot of conflict.  It can feel like an invasion of privacy and make relationships very uncomfortable.

Not to mention, in court, many lawyers will strategize with their clients to bring up the most sensitive things about the other parent and the relationship to sway the sympathies of the judge in terms of parenting disputes without a thought as to how this could impact their future or relationships with their children.  This could include very embarrassing things such as alcohol or drug abuse, or even physical and emotional abuse.  Again, these declarations would be signed by and filed in public court.

Your financial information is also exposed when dealing with a court-based divorce.  For most, the thought of having this on record for anyone to access can be quite unnerving.

With Collaborative Divorce, there is the help of coaches to better communicate, resolve issues, work out finances, and develop co-parenting plans. Both you and your spouse work towards making such plans and agreement by entering into good faith negotiations. It is a way to avoid the mudslinging that can happen in a court-based divorce and be more respectful of the person who you once loved enough to say “I do” to.

Choose Collaborative Divorce and move on with your life in the most positive way possible, with your private life kept private. Call Rahul for a FREE initial 20-minute consultation to ask any questions you may have and decide if the Collaborative process is the best choice for you and your partner.