Divorce may be inevitable for some couples, but you and your spouse have a choice you can make in the face of an impending split. You can either fight for your personal agendas in a courtroom, or you can collaborate to achieve an amicable divorce that gives your family the best chance to function healthily in the long term.
Collaborative divorce is a process during which each spouse hires a professional trained in collaborative law to help mediate the important discussions you must have. In particular, collaborative divorce can give way to a more favorable parenting plan than what you might achieve otherwise.
Collaborative divorce implies less conflict
Co-parenting can be extremely difficult when the adults are hostile or hold grudges against one another. Signing a participation agreement at the outset of the collaborative divorce process shows that you are willing to commit to a more amicable way of handling your affairs. You can easily carry this mindset with you as you draft a parenting plan and beyond.
The collaborative process lets you prioritize your child’s needs
Because the collaborative process takes place outside of court, you can control the decisions regarding your family’s future rather than deferring to the will of a judge. For example, you can choose which parent should be the primary guardian based on how easy it will be for the child to transition to their new lifestyle with that parent.
Divorcing spouses often struggle with forming a workable parenting plan. The typical divorce process can breed conflict and make it difficult for co-parents to consider the bigger picture when they should simply consider what is best for the child.