If you are getting ready to end your marriage in Florida, you and your spouse might want to consider collaborative divorce. It’s important to understand how it works and how it can benefit you both.
What is collaborative divorce?
With collaborative divorce, you may be able to legally separate without all of the drama and disputes that many couples go through when they go to court. Collaborative divorce in Florida allows both parties to come to an agreement on all matters concerning the split and avoid many of the negative aspects. Often, couples rely on mediation and negotiations to settle things.
What are the benefits of a collaborative divorce?
There are numerous benefits that you and your spouse can reap from collaborative divorce. They include the following:
• You can settle your divorce in an informal setting instead of in a courtroom.
• It saves you time and money.
• You are both able to express yourselves in an honest way.
• It allows you to negotiate things in ways that work for both of you.
• It allows you to choose how you will handle disputes in the future.
What can you expect from the collaborative divorce process?
The process of collaborative divorce in Florida is fairly straightforward. It involves the following steps:
• You and your spouse have attorneys who know the mediation and negotiation processes.
• You meet with your attorney privately and later meet with your spouse and their attorney. You discuss your concerns with another party involved, such as a child custody specialist. That third-party professional can further help you to come to an agreement that works for both you and your spouse.
• You may be able to have a mediator come into your negotiations if you cannot come to an agreement.
• You all sign a formal agreement that states you will not go to court; your attorneys withdraw if you cannot reach an agreement and have to go to court.
• You file your divorce papers and settlement agreement with a family or domestic relations court. This allows you to settle things in an easier, uncontested manner.
Once you have decided that collaborative divorce works best for you, you have a better chance of ending things in a civil matter without dragging out litigation in court. Your divorce may then be settled faster and easier.
