Going through divorce is a stressful and time consuming process no matter how you look at it. Fortunately, there are things you can do to make the process a little less daunting.
Collaborative divorce serves as one potential way to do that. But how?
Your personal representative
As Forbes discusses ways to make divorce easier, they point out that staying out of court serves as one of the easiest ways to reduce stress. Collaborative divorce is one of the most common ways that couples avoid court cases when splitting.
In a collaborative divorce, you and your spouse will each hire a personal representative. Together, the four of you will hold all meetings regarding the divorce. The representatives will talk on behalf of you and your spouse, negotiating between demands, desires and preferences in order to reach a mutually beneficial and agreeable conclusion.
The additional aid of mediation
In some cases, personal representatives may request you to hire a mediator as well. Mediators have a special skill set in terms of managing discussions and especially arguments. They can step in and prevent arguments from boiling out of control. Likewise, they can ensure that all parties feel like they had an equal chance to share their thoughts and opinions.
At the start of this process, you and your spouse will sign an agreement stating that you will not go to court. If things change and you decide to go after all, you will have to find new personal representatives. Thus, it is important to make a choice you can stick with from the start.