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Pointing Pen and Finger on Document

Alternative Dispute Resolution

 

Resolutions reached mutually are often more durable, and more favorable to the long-term relationships of parties who, although divorced, may need or want to maintain good relations for parenting, social or business reasons.

Compared to litigation, negotiated settlements are often:

  • Less expensive

  • Less time-consuming

  • Less hostile

  • More private

  • More tailored to a family’s unique needs

  • More durable and less likely to land them in court in the future

  • Final, as out-of-court settlements are not subject to appeal

Divorce Doesn't Have to Mean War.

Collaborative Divorce

Collaborative attorneys and their clients, often with the help of neutral professionals such as financial or child specialists, work together to identify and achieve their clients’ goals to maximize the benefit for families. As a result, negotiations can often be more productive, as both sides are working toward something mutually beneficial, as opposed to engaging in a zero-sum tug-of-war.

Such a collaborative arrangement might seem like common sense to someone working outside the justice system, but it has taken a long time to catch on in legal circles. Today, many types of disputes, particularly family law matters, can be resolved collaboratively, if both parties are willing.

Mediation

A trained mediator acts as a neutral to help parties reach satisfying resolutions that may not be apparent to them in a traditional adversarial context. A good mediator will facilitate the negotiation between parties, help them understand the sometimes hidden costs and benefits of various outcomes, see their common ground, and realize that not every issue has to be win-lose. By helping parties understand their own motivations in a negotiation and those of one another, a mediator can help some parties to find a way to resolve disputes that leaves all parties more satisfied, and more in control, than in a traditional adversarial legal dispute, often at less expense.

Unbundled Legal Services

Many people grow apart without hostility or are able to put their anger aside and work together to resolve how best to move forward separately after a divorce. These individuals can cooperate to maximize the benefit to each of them in dividing their resources, and to continue being effective co-parents to their children. For them, it’s still important to talk with an experienced family law attorney. An experienced divorce lawyer can draft and file documents, and can help ensure the couple hasn’t overlooked anything that may cause problems down the road. With unbundled legal services, and attorney helps ensure your bases are covered and your short- and long-term interests are protected.

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