Collaborative Law
Collaborative Law is a process that allows a couple to divorce with dignity. At the onset, a couple can choose to avoid costly and hurtful litigation and work together to divide the assets and time with the children. Throughout the divorce process, the couple works with a team of trained professionals which includes a communications facilitator, a child specialist, and a financial planner. Together, with the couple and their attorneys, all parties work toward the common goal of dissolving the marriage in a civil manner while keeping healthy lines of communication open, building a successful, dual household family, and beginning the healing process. The entire team meets on a regular basis to help the couple settle the financial affairs and develop a parenting plan that is in the best interest of the children.
Why Choose This Process?
1. The test of time has shown that couples who take a collaborative approach to marriage dissolution are better able to co-parent and communicate to make wise, sound decisions for the family. In many instances, the couple is able to maintain a friendly, post-divorce relationship which helps the children better adjust to this change in the family dynamic.
2. Using the Collaborative Law approach can be a cost-effective way to dissolve a marriage by saving the couple both time and money. The traditional divorce can take anywhere from 12 - 24 months and includes several hearings, conferences, and a messy final trial. When both parties are open to the Collaborative Law process, a divorce is generally finalized within a year with only 1 court appearance to have the Judge sign the Divorce Decree that the couple has agreed upon.
3. Collaborative Law offers couples a sense of privacy that is just not available in traditional divorce litigation. In courtroom proceedings, testimony is usually transcribed all filed documents are public record for anyone to have access to ... including your children who may get curious and pull the court records later in life. When the Collaborative Law approach is used, all discussions that take place are kept confidential, and the only document that gets filed in court is the Final Decree. There are no transcripts of hurtful testimony floating around that could come back and haunt you later.
Ms. Gilkes participated in the New Paradigm Training Seminar and is trained as a Collaborative Law Attorney. For more information on the Collaborative Law process, please feel free to call the office at 817~714~7705.
