Perhaps you inherited the family ranch, and you desperately want to retain ownership of the property and control over the business operations. Maybe you belong to a minority religion and feel very strongly about retaining the legal custody rights to raise your children in the same religion.
Whether your goal is to protect specific property or secure particular concessions in custody or support matters, divorce litigation is a gamble. Under the community property laws in Texas, a judge has a lot of discretion regarding how they divide your property. The same is true for custody matters if you litigate the big decisions.
Collaborative divorce can be a powerful tool for those who feel strongly about achieving specific outcomes in their divorce filings.
How collaborative divorce works
A litigated divorce employs an adversarial model. You are about to go to war with your ex. You may fight over every last detail and damage your relationship even more than you already have.
Collaborative divorce requires a cooperative approach instead. Even if you aren’t on speaking terms and would prefer not to see one another, you can authorize your attorneys to communicate and negotiate on crucial matters.
With enough time and a focus on securing certain terms rather than just winning, you can potentially reach a settlement that makes both of you feel comfortable. Whether you employ direct negotiations or bring in an outside mediator to speed up the process, a collaborative divorce provides you with an opportunity to start repairing your relationship while maintaining control over the divorce process.
Collaborative divorce can protect your privacy and minimize your costs
Divorce can be expensive, especially when you have complex assets and decide to fight over them. The more you litigate, the more you will end up paying for the dissolution of your marriage. When you cooperate, you can reach solutions that are appropriate given your family circumstances and address major issues, like financial misconduct or infidelity, without discussing those problems in open court.
There’s much to gain from cooperating with your ex as you seek to end your marriage. Considering collaborative divorce is one of your possible options could lead to a smoother divorce, even if you have many complicating factors.