As a divorce attorney who has litigated, settled, mediated, and facilitated hundreds of divorces, I am very passionate about collaborative divorce (also known by me as private divorce). Here’s why:
- I know it works
- My collaborative divorce clients have thanked me repeatedly for encouraging them to undertake a collaborative divorce.
Collaborative divorce won’t change the fact that divorce is hard. During the collaborative divorce process, we don’t sit around a conference table, join hands, and magically make everything better. People often experience anger and conflict and all the other emotions that may come with divorce.
The difference between collaborative divorce and divorce litigation is that in collaborative, we are solution-focused; we work hard to arrive at a mutually agreed upon fair and rational resolution. In litigation, we do just the opposite.
In litigation, we create issues and work against each other for a win/lose result. The crazy part is that people are just now understanding that no one ever really “wins” in divorce litigation. Between the massive attorney’s fees, personal information being exposed in the public record, the damage it does to children and families, and finally, the loss of control over your finances, family, and future, there really are no winners.
My collaborative divorce practice has grown exponentially over the past few years because people have begun to see the benefits of collaborative divorce, including:
- Privacy: Your financials and personal information will not be in the public record for all to see.
- Less Expensive: Statistics show that collaborative divorce is more than not, less costly
- Faster: Depending upon the complexity of the case, clients can be divorced within months.
- Control: Collaborative divorce attorneys guide and advocate for clients to devise educated, informed options. YOU (not a judge) decide the outcome.
- Protects Families: With the support of a neutral facilitator, parties begin to effectively communicate for the benefit of themselves and, especially, their children. Even if your children are grown, there will always be a connection between you and your soon-to-be former spouse.
As I always say, “Divorce is difficult, it doesn’t have to be devastating.”
To learn more about collaborative divorce and other divorce options, go to: MaraBernsteinDivorce.com or call my office at 561-910-1870.