The Statistics say YES! Litigated divorces can take years. The average length of a case in my office is 7 months. Here’s why:
1.We Stay Out of The Courtroom: We are not controlled by the court’s schedule, delay, adjournments, repeated extensions, continuances and backlog (sound stressful? it is!) Collaborative Divorce allows the parties to schedule meetings at their convenience giving regard to work and parenting schedules.
2. Efficiency: No waiting hours for your case to be heard, no listening to divorce attorneys argue endlessly. Collaborative meetings have agendas, and a set time frame in which we set targets and meet goals. Lawyers are not arguing, they WILL disagree and be advocates but they are not wasting time being “s—t stirrers”. They are problem solvers.
3. It NOT Always Amicable: In fact, most of the time it is not amicable. People are getting divorced for a reason! The difference between them and litigants is that they don’t want to “blow up” everything they built to have a judge who knows little about them decide their future and their children’s future. Instead of fighting against each other we work together to problem solve with “interest based” negotiations.
It is important to note that the speed of a Collaborative Divorce varies depending on the complexity of the case and the willingness of both parties to cooperate. While some couples may find resolution relatively quickly, others may require more time to address challenging issues. Nonetheless, for couples seeking a faster, more streamlined divorce process, Collaborative Divorce offers a faster, less expensive and less chaotic and less stressful alternative to traditional litigation.