Is a Collaborative Divorce more affordable than Litigation?
The cost ultimately depends on many different factors such as how committed both parties are to reaching an agreement and the rates charged by the professionals chosen as part of your team. By choosing collaborative divorce, individuals can agree on the essential issues and agree on a plan for addressing those issues moving forward. Collaborative divorce avoids the high costs and legal fees of the courtroom legal battle.
An alternative to the traditional courtroom divorce, divorcing collaboratively offers a more cost effective approach utilizing a team of divorce professionals – each bringing specific expertise to the process. The focus is on helping your family solve problems instead of doing battle. The team of experts in the Collaborative divorce model includes, in addition to your lawyers, a single neutral financial and a neutral mental health professional, and if needed, a neutral mediator. Divorcing collaboratively means everyone works towards the same goal, instead of gearing up for a fight.
Financially and emotionally, collaborative divorce offers specific financial advantages in contrast to traditional litigation:
| COLLABORATIVE COSTS | LITIGATION COSTS |
| Scheduled team meetings with pre-set agenda | Written Discovery |
| Establish agreed goals | Taking Depositions |
| No witness involvement | Subpoena Witnesses |
| Neutral Professionals chosen by agreement of attorneys | Selecting and retaining opposing experts |
| Scheduled meetings with Neutral Professionals without attorneys | Appearances in Open Court |
| Agreement on child evaluator | Child Custody Evaluations contested |
| Open discussions among professionals about your concerns | Objections to the other party’s requests, witnesses and expert |
| Preparation for Interim Hearings and final trial | |
| Privacy | Courthouse waiting time and court docketing restrictions |
| Team coordinates for preparation of final documents | Hearings for entry of final documents |
Working together with a neutral financial professional to reach common ground on the realities of their financial situation and budgeting concerns;
Involvement of a neutral mental health professional forming shared understanding of shifting roles in the changing family.