If you are headed for a divorce or currently in the midst of one, you may have exhausted all of your possible options at least to your knowledge. You may not know which type of divorce is the right one for you or for your family, with the best outcomes. You may have heard about the possibility of something known as Collaborative Law, which is when both clients and lawyers get together and sign an agreement to negotiate the entire matter in good faith. However, what if you introduce another option into the game known as “Cooperative Law”? Many people think that Cooperative and Collaborative divorce is the same thing, but this is not the case.
Collaborative and Cooperative Law – Which One is For You?
From a point, collaborative and cooperative law may look very similar; however, there are many differences. As previously mentioned, collaborative law involves parties getting together and signing an agreement that everything will be done in good faith from that point forward. The team will commit to integrity and develop the best possible agreement that they can produce that works for themselves and their family stuck in the center of divorce. The biggest thing with collaborative law is that both parties agree that they will not take matters to court, or else they will withdraw from the collaborative option and instead follow through with litigation. The commitment to collaborating and keeping matters out of court is the biggest thing to remember.
However, on the reverse side, cooperative law looks much like the collaborative process in many ways but is not. Yes, there is still the commitment to work together and negotiate to the best of their abilities. However, neither party is prevented from filing for litigation if it leads to that. Negotiations may become difficult, as either divorce party or attorney may know. If it becomes too challenging, there is no court barring and either party is permitted to file to resolve the problems as they arise.
The Benefits of the Collaborative and Cooperative Options
Collaborative and cooperative divorce, in many cases, can cut down the stress and expenses relating to divorce, which may be beneficial to you depending on your situation. Many people believe that these divorce options will not fully benefit them as with going to court, but this is not true – in many cases, you will get the best results. Collaborative and cooperative divorce stabilize the situation through a temporary agreement that you reach together, help you exchange all information in a private manner, minimize expense, helps you negotiate a settlement, and helps you decide how you want to handle post-divorce decisions. The only difference is, of course, cooperative law may still end with court if that is the direction you want to head.
Are you going through a divorce and it isn’t working out for you? Do you want more options after you feel like litigation has exhausted them? Collaborative and cooperative divorce are options that may be best for you if you feel like there is no end to the negotiations and you want to talk things out in a one-on-one manner. If you have questions about divorce and the many processes, call an attorney you can trust today. Call The Law Offices of Amy M. Montes.
