Going through divorce puts an enormous amount of pressure on a couple. Mentally, financially and emotionally, people go through the wringer just to finalize the split.
But there are ways to help cut down on the stress, sometimes significantly. For example, couples that can avoid taking their case to court in the first place often have a much smoother divorce.
How it works
Cornell Law School discusses collaborative divorce as an option for some divorcing couples. This option allows a couple to avoid taking their case to court, which saves time, money and provides additional privacy by not having the contents of the divorce in a public, viewable document.
This option involves both members of a divorcing couple bringing a personal representative to divorce meetings. The purpose of the meetings? To finalize the terms of the divorce. Personal representatives negotiate on behalf of their client, attempting to come to an agreement that both parties can consent to.
What a couple needs to succeed
A couple does not need to have perfect agreement on every topic, nor do they even need to have an amicable relationship at the time of the split. However, it is important that they have the ability to work together in situations of high stress. They will have to set aside their differences to negotiate.
On top of that, they must have the ability to make concessions and compromises with their partner. The point of negotiation is not to ensure that one party gets their way entirely. It is to reach an agreement both parties will accept, with some give and take for both.
Couples that fit this bill can and should consider collaborative divorce as a way to save time and money.