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Specialty tag(s): Collaborative Divorce

How the Collaborative Divorce Process Can Help You Achieve Your Goals

Curtis W. Harrison | November 19, 2021

What should you do if you’re an individual facing divorce?

So what can you do if you’re an individual facing the prospect of divorce? Consider this analogy: just as a runner who is about to begin a marathon trains in advance before ever approaching that starting line, do your homework, speak with more than one attorney, learn about the divorce process and the options available, there’s actually a learning center available on the Goranson Bain Ausley website, and I would invite you to take a look at it.

What are two of the most important decisions a client has to make at the beginning of the divorce process?

The first choice is the choice of the attorney that is going to be representing that individual. And the second choice is what process is that individual going to utilize. And believe it or not, you have a number of choices and a number of ways to address both of those issues, the attorney that you choose will have a fundamental impact on the path that your case takes.

In addition, the process that you and your spouse choose to go about handling the divorce will have an impact not only on you as an individual, but if you have children, also on your children’s lives as well. The typical way of going through a divorce process is through the standard litigation model. And that immediately pits both spouses against each other puts them in a win-lose or lose-lose situation.

There are other options available. Some of them you may already be aware of, but some of them may not be. So, it’s important that you choose a professional who is well versed in these alternative methods of conflict resolution so that you are able to make an informed choice at the very beginning. One of the alternative methods of going through the divorce process itself is called the Collaborative Divorce model.

There really is not a win-win scenario at the courthouse; both parties are going to wind up losing something. Collaborative Divorce empowers individuals to make decisions for themselves. shared decisions is protected by statute. And in essence, it strips the court from any role in your divorce process that takes the threat of the courthouse completely out of the picture from the very beginning. It enables the husband and the wife to make their own decisions alongside properly trained and experienced collaborative professionals.

Are all family law attorneys trained in Collaborative Divorce?

It’s important to know that not all family law attorneys are trained in the collaborative divorce model, and not all family law attorneys practice Collaborative Divorce. At Goranson Bain Ausley we believe in the collaborative divorce model and about 75% of our attorneys are trained in it. A few are even credentialled.

Learn more about the collaborative divorce process by contacting Curtis Harrison at 214-473-9696.