Chicago Collaborative Divorce Attorney

Family Law Attorneys Helping Spouses Achieve a Collaborative Divorce

Most spouses who try collaborative divorce succeed with the help of an experienced lawyer. Tools like mediation and attorney-led negotiation can help you and your spouse resolve each issue in your divorce without going to court. A contested divorce can be invasive and upsetting. What happens in court becomes a matter of public record. Evidence regarding your mental health or parenting ability might be introduced if you need to allocate parenting time and parental responsibilities. The causes of conflict in your marriage and parenting relationship are likely to be brought up. By choosing collaborative divorce, you can keep your personal matters private.

CG Law LLC can help nearly any couple achieve an uncontested divorce. If you and your spouse cannot be in the same room, we will use a strategy that does not involve you having contact with them. We can arrange virtual mediation, where you and your spouse can be kept in separate virtual rooms if you feel safer and more secure that way. We will be there with you throughout the entire process so that we can protect your legal interests and keep you advised on what your rights are.

Why Uncontested Divorce is the Preferred Approach

Contested divorce, while sometimes necessary, can be an invasive, stressful, long, and costly process. Having an uncontested divorce can be far less costly and is usually much faster. The only real downside is that you and your spouse must cooperate and compromise. If your divorce is amicable, this may not be a problem. However, if you are deeply in conflict, this may be more of a challenge. We will talk with you about the state of your relationship and help you determine the best strategies for achieving your goals.

Some of the reasons why an uncontested divorce may be the better approach to your case include:

• A personalized approach - When you collaborate with your spouse to divide property and create a parenting plan, you can tailor your divorce agreement to suit your individual needs and circumstances. You and your spouse, rather than the court, control the outcome.
• Privacy - Anything discussed as you work to negotiate a divorce settlement can be kept private, with very few exceptions. There is no need to gather and present invasive and highly personal evidence.
• Protecting your child - A contested divorce can be extremely stressful for a child. Negotiating a parenting plan outside of court can shield your child from the conflict between you and your spouse so your child does not feel caught in the middle.

Using Collaborative Divorce to Reach Agreements

In a collaborative divorce, you, your spouse, and your respective attorneys and team of professionals will sign an agreement in which you will commit to cooperating to resolve divorce-related issues outside of court. You will then work together to negotiate the terms of your divorce settlement, and your attorneys cannot later represent you in litigation if the collaborative process breaks down. Both of you will be required to be as open and forthright as possible. This may mean that you will turn over any requested documents or disclose any relevant information related to your property and finances or other aspects of your marriage. You may also work with other professionals to determine how to resolve the outstanding issues in your case, such as a parenting coach who can assist with co-parenting conflicts and financial experts who can perform appraisals of property and provide guidance on how to protect the interests of both parties.

Your collaborative divorce agreement encourages cooperation because it will require your attorneys to withdraw from your case if you need to go to court to resolve any outstanding issues. Rather than take the time and expense needed to find new legal representation, you will be more likely to negotiate agreements that you and your spouse will both be satisfied with. Collaborative divorce can also encourage ongoing cooperation and positive relationships, which can be beneficial if you will be raising your children together as co-parents.

Contact a Chicago Collaborative Divorce Lawyer

CG Law LLC is committed to helping divorcing spouses create divorce agreements out of court. Our experienced Cook and DuPage County, IL collaborative divorce attorneys will take the time to understand your unique circumstances so that we can help you choose the approach that is most likely to succeed. Contact us at 312-884-9012 for a complimentary consultation.