Fort Lauderdale Divorce Lawyer Blog
A collaborative divorce is becoming popular in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and its hype is sweeping throughout Broward County. With a collaborative divorce, obtaining a divorce does not have to be a bitter battle between you and your spouse. Instead, the process leading up to a divorce has the potential to be amicable, and may even be happy! Whether you reside in Hallandale, Weston, Hollywood your should ask your Florida divorce attorney to explain to you the benefits of a collaborative divorce.
The notion behind a collaborative divorce is to dissolve a marriage as efficiently and peacefully as possible. Before talks even begin, both the husband and the wife seek their own attorney. The attorney is hired specifically to provide legal advice and guidance, not to wage war. After the parties have hired individual counsel, the husband, the wife and their respective attorneys sign an agreement to share all information regarding the divorce. Additionally, the parties agree that if either the husband or the wife back out of the collaborative divorce process, the attorneys will withdraw from the case as well.
Not too much goes on behind closed doors. Instead the parties come together before a neutral mental health professional, who guides the parties into productive discussions and minimizes their bickering. Additionally, this professional helps the parties to design a parenting plan with the goal of achieving what is in the best interests of their children. Also, a neutral financial advisor is present to help the parties divide their assets and liabilities.
The benefit behind a collaborative divorce is privacy. The parties never have to step into a courtroom during the dissolution process. After all of the property is divided, the support payments are set and the parenting plan is created, the parties submit their settlement to the court and then the court dissolves the marriage shortly after the petition for dissolution of marriage is filed.
Advocates of collaborative divorce stand behind its principles because the process allows for open and nonviolent communication between the parties. Furthermore, the process refocuses the parties’ attention to what is best for the family.