Is A Cooperative Divorce Better Than A Collaborative One?
Posted on: 30 November 2022
The laws surrounding family issues and divorce keep evolving. For example, in the past, contested divorce was the norm. However, people are embracing other options that save them time and are less stressful. A good example is collaborative divorce which has been around for a while, and more people are trying it. As such, you could be thinking about it if you want to separate from your spouse but don't want the conflict that comes with the contested process. That said, note that even this form of divorce has its pros and cons, and you may want to compare it with other alternatives like cooperation. Here is everything you need to know about the difference between collaboration and cooperation and which option might work best for you.
How Collaboration Works
Collaboration is an agreement to dissolve the marriage without involving the law. In this case, the couple decides they will not engage in discovery and disclose all the information needed for the settlement. In addition, both parties agree they will not have court intervention of any kind. That said, it might seem simple, but it isn't when one of the partners starts feeling like they might get cheated. As such, it makes more sense to have alternative options on the table if collaboration doesn't work.
The Limits of Collaboration
Divorce is a process that will change the trajectory of your life and that of your family forever. Hence, you should assess every procedure you could be considering and its long-term implications. In this case, collaboration might seem like a simpler alternative to contested divorce, but it has its limitations. For example, it leads to unsettled legal issues, and when you test the reality, it might not work. Moreover, if you're trying the collaborative method with a manipulative spouse, they will sabotage the process and slow down progress. Given this, cooperation is a better alternative as it encourages you to seek the solution that works best for you.
The Benefits of Cooperation
Good divorce lawyers recommend cooperation instead of collaboration because it brings courtesy into the process. Moreover, the emotional cost of a collaborative divorce is high because the partners are prepared to go to war. Sometimes, this means that someone will settle for what they didn't want to keep the peace. Hence, it makes more sense to cooperate and embrace the process to ensure that everyone affected by the divorce gets all their interest represented in the settlement.
Talk to your divorce law attorney about the possibility of a corporative divorce instead of a collaborative one. Note that lawyers are cooperative and can work together to create a settlement that meets everybody's interests.
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