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Specialty tag(s): Gray Divorce, Collaborative Divorce

Why Collaborative Divorce is a Good Solution for Divorce After 50

Esther R. Donald | July 22, 2022

For couples over 50 with adult children, the Court tends to view your divorce as simply a division of property and debts. Our family lawyers, however, understand that the situation is more complex than that. Even though you may not need to worry about possession schedules or child support, your adult children are still top of mind during your divorce. Collaborative divorce goes beyond current finances and brings personal family matters into the conversation.

How does divorce impact adult children at different life stages?

Many assume that adult children are less affected by their parents’ divorce than younger children; that isn’t always the case. If anything, adult children may have more nuanced questions about how their parents’ divorce will affect them. Young adult kids just barely “out of the house” worry about how their college will be paid after their parents split up.  Adult kids in their late 20s and early 30s are often concerned about how their parents’ divorce might impact their own wedding plans.  And adult kids in the next stage of life are understandably focused on the effect of the divorce on grandkids and on family estate planning.  Not to mention who will care for each aging parent if they are no longer together.

How does the “team approach” work and how is the “team approach” a benefit of Collaborative Divorce?

One of the benefits of a collaborative divorce is that it utilizes a team approach. We identify the couple’s goals and fears and then work productively to meet those objectives and allay those concerns. Each team member contributes to the success of the Collaborative Divorce process. These team members can include, but are not limited to:

• Neutral financial professionals who can help with transparent information gathering and create one spreadsheet that both clients can agree upon.
• Mental health professionals who keep the process safe and moving forward at an appropriate pace.
• Adult child specialists who can work directly with your kids and facilitate family conversations.

And, of course, collaboratively trained lawyers who help you come up with a plan to preserve what is working well in your family even after the divorce is behind you.

Can a Collaborative Divorce be creative?  How does that help clients stay in control?

You’ve spent years raising your family and building a healthy financial estate. Why would you want to let a judge use a cookie-cutter approach to dismantling it? A collaborative divorce keeps you in control. When you’re divorcing after 50, you bring a lifetime of intelligence and experience to the negotiating table. We can help you and your spouse come up with tools and options, but then you get to make the decisions about what your family relationships and your finances will look like after the divorce.

How can Goranson Bain Ausley help?

Collaborative divorce offers the opportunity to protect your adult children from the stress and conflict of divorce and preserve your financial assets to the greatest extent possible. At Goranson Bain Ausley, we have credentialed collaborative divorce lawyers who have the experience and strategies to help you achieve your goals if you’re facing or contemplating divorce later in life.

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Esther Donald has immersed herself in the Collaborative law model and is distinguished as a Credentialed Collaborative Divorce lawyer, one of a select few in the state. She is a past Chair of the Dallas Bar Association’s Collaborative Law section and is Board Secretary of the Collin County Bar Association’s Alternative Dispute Resolution section.  Esther recently served as the Course Director for the State Bar of Texas 15^th Annual Collaborative Course.  Her emphasis on cooperative and creative family law solutions has led to her recognition as a “Best Lawyer” by U.S. News – Best Lawyers in America©  in the field of Family Law in 2017-2023 and as a Texas Super Lawyer by Thompson Reuters in 2016-2022.

If you need a collaborative divorce attorney in Dallas, Austin or Plano Texas, please contact Esther Donald at 214-373-7676.