Why should you be interested in collaborative divorce?
There are many reasons one could be interested in a collaborative divorce. It may be because you are interested in retaining some control instead of giving that control to the Court system. It may be that you want to work in a process that allows for joint problem solving to maximize all potential benefits. It could be because you want to prepare and plan for a future for your children. It may be that you want to keep your financial matters private. It may be that you do not want a high conflict matter where you would prefer to be respectful and focus on the needs of both parties.
What is a collaborative like? What should I expect?
Initially, the parties and their respective collaborative counsel review and sign a written commitment whereby the parties will, through a series of planned team meetings, negotiate a settlement. The parties agree that should they resort to litigation they will no longer be able to have their respective counsel represent them. The parties agree to fully disclose all assets and debts and agree to actively problem solve using interest-based negotiation. There are four steps to the interest-based negotiation model. The first is a transparent and voluntary exchange of information. The second is identifying interests and values. The third step is to generate and create all available options by brainstorming. The final step is to mutually assess the available options and find which best fits. The goal is full resolution.
Additional information.
Ohio passed the Ohio Collaborative Family Law Act in December 2012. This Act recognized the collaborative process as an alternative for couples who no longer wish to be married. It defined the attributes of a collaborative process.