Collaborative Vs Traditional Divorce: Which Is Right for You?

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Hiring A Divorce Attorney When You Are Sad and Angry

Dealing with a divorce can be a sad and frustrating process, especially if you are grieving the end of your relationship. Hi, my name is Sandra, and when I got divorced seven years ago, I signed away many things that I would not have agreed to if I had been thinking clearly. That is why it is essential to hire a great divorce attorney. If you are feeling particularly sad or angry, you need one even more. I don't want to see others fall into the same trap I did, so I decided to start a blog to help. I hope these posts help and inspire you. Good luck with your changing family structure.

Collaborative Vs Traditional Divorce: Which Is Right for You?

28 December 2018
 Categories: , Blog


When planning to leave your spouse, you may be thinking that the only avenue to choose is separation followed by divorce. But when you think of divorce, most people assume it is exclusively about going to court to have their marriage dissolved. If you are sceptical about going through the litigation route, you may want to consider a collaborative divorce. This option differs vastly from the traditional way of getting divorced and may prove to be more civil than having to go to court. The following article looks at the ways collaborative and traditional divorce differ so that you can decide what is right for you.

The litigation involved

As aforementioned, traditional divorce will likely end up in court, but with collaborative divorce, there is no litigation at all surrounding the process. Therefore, if you are deliberating on collaborative divorce, it is imperative that you do not file any court applications, or you may not be able to go down this route.

The professionals involved

As per the name, the collaborative divorce process entails the use of a team of professionals to end the marriage. However, during a traditional divorce, the foremost professionals involved in the process are your lawyer, your spouse's attorney and the justice system. So what happens during a collaborative divorce? This process is much more than merely cutting ties with your partner. In addition to the lawyer that will be handling the legal issues, you can elect to have a financial advisor that will deal with all the financial matters and even a qualified mental health practitioner to ease the emotional turbulence that arises during the divorce process. Furthermore, if you have children, trained professionals can be hired to ensure their emotional and psychological needs are met too.

The money it costs

The amount of money that will be paid during a collaborative and traditional divorce will vary depending on your immediate needs. For instance, if you enlist on the services of a family lawyer to take you through the dissolution process, then these will be the only expenses you incur. Whereas, when you choose to go with litigation, then you have to factor in court costs too. Alternately, if your collaborative divorce will involve multiple professionals to work through the process, then the costs could equal or surpass those of a traditional divorce. Irrespective of your choice, it is best to factor in what will be best to ensure that you and your family maintain an amicable relationship.