The Best Kept Secret in Divorce Law

When most people think of divorce, they envision a contested case in front of a judge. Some people have also heard of mediation, where parties come together with a neutral mediator who helps them arrive at an agreement. But there is another option that most people haven’t heard of - collaborative divorce.

Imagine for a moment that you and your spouse could work with attorneys to assemble a dream team of professionals - financial neutrals, child specialists, coaches, mortgage professionals, or others. Once assembled, this team would meet regularly to help you and your spouse to identify issues that require resolution and brainstorm solutions. The team would work together to answer those big, looming questions such as: 

“Can one of us afford to stay in the marital home?” 

“How can we minimize the impact on the children?” 

“How will our retirement play out financially?” 

By answering these questions together, the team aims to arrive at a durable agreement that is realistic and that the parties can both live with. A key facet of the collaborative divorce process is that everyone involved signs a participation agreement which, among other things, assures that neither party will file a contested case in court.

The collaborative divorce process is not only cost-effective and less stressful than contested litigation, it also helps the parties to develop new ways to communicate effectively. This is especially impactful in cases where there are minor children involved.

So why isn’t collaborative divorce more popular/better known? First, it is relatively new, having only really begun in the 1990’s. Also, only attorneys who have undergone special training in the process can offer collaborative divorce as an option, so many attorneys will not tell potential clients about it. Those of us who are trained and familiar with these methods tend to be big proponents because collaborative divorce is such a great option. If you are interested in speaking with a Maryland collaborative divorce attorney about this well-kept secret, make an appointment for a free consult with Acorn Law today. We’d love to talk with you, and we’d love to help.