Delving into the Collaborative Law Process

Disputes between couples over matters involving child support and custody, alimony, and the like can arise during the divorce process. Often, both parties tend to be aggressive—wanting to prove the other party is liable for the divorce—that they choose to bring their disputes to court for litigation. Some couples, however, choose the less expensive course of collaborative law.

Collaborative law is the desirable model for resolving disputes among family members, taking the matter outside the courtroom and settling it peacefully. It involves the disputing parties and their legal representatives facing each other at an agreed time and location. The collaborative law process continues so long as neither party decides to file a case in court instead.

In the collaborative law process, both parties agree to disclose all documents pertaining to the issue with the goal to correct any mistakes or errors that has led to the dispute, rather than vilify the other party. This way, a new agreement, which leads to the settlement of the issue once and for all, can be achieved.

The parties also agree to share experts that can help resolve the issue and all expenses related to hiring those experts. Tedious and expensive hearings inside the courtroom can be avoided by resolving the issue among themselves before it becomes a legal matter. A family law attorney can be consulted to get advice on how to effectively deal with the case.