Northampton, Massachusetts Mediation & Collaborative Divorce Attorney
Collaborative divorce allows couples to work through a non-confrontational, non-adversarial process to reach the best result for themselves and their children. In collaborative divorce, each spouse hires an attorney and the four work together to reach the best arrangement for the future. They address all the same concerns as those discussed during a traditional divorce, including:
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However, rather than resolving conflicts in open court, the couple and their attorneys privately work in a manner that reduces stress and anxiety and moves quickly toward resolution.
The potential benefits
The advantages of collaborative divorce are many:
- Additional privacy – Since the agreement is worked out in private rather than in court, personal information is held in confidence and there is much less of a public record.
- Time savings – The collaborative process goes much more quickly than one that involves scheduled court appearances and formal discovery.
- Cost savings – Attorney fees are lower because of the reduced time factor.
- Less emotional turmoil – The act of dealing with your former spouse in a cooperative manner means that you do not face as much stress.
Not for everyone
For collaborative divorce to succeed, an atmosphere of trust must be created. This is not possible in marriages where there has been domestic violence or emotional abuse.
If the collaborative process doesn’t work for you, you can easily transition to a traditional divorce. You and your spouse will hire new attorneys, so none of the private matters discussed in the collaborative meetings can be used in the adversarial process.
Contact a reliable Massachusetts collaborative divorce attorney, Leslie McLellan Brown.
If you believe the collaborative divorce process could work for you, call 413-586-0446 or contact me online to schedule a consultation. I’ll give you all the information you need to move forward to a more hopeful future.