PA Collaborative Divorce Process
1. The parties and their attorneys verbally agree to do collaborative. They exchange information about a coach, a financial professional, a custody professional, or any other neutral that they need to assist on the case. The attorneys may suggest professionals and discuss with the clients. The coach, the financial professional, and any other lawyers or professionals associated with CLASP (Collaborative Law Association of Southwestern PA) will do FREE 30 minute meetings with the clients. A full list of collaborative attorneys and professionals can be found on the CLASP website. The propose of the meeting is to explain the benefits of collaborative, how it relates the their unique case, and the role of the professional conducting the meeting in the process.
2. The clients report back and discuss choices for professionals with their collaborative attorneys.
3. The professionals would discuss the case and the agenda for the first meeting. Once the clients have ok'd the professionals, and the attorneys have ok'd the professionals, a short 30 minute professional team meeting may be scheduled by the attorneys and professionals to go over the case.
4. The first meeting is scheduled with all professionals and with the clients. Meetings ideally would be 3 total hours, with 2 of those having the clients present, and the remaining one for the professionals to discuss administrative duties in preparation for each meeting.
5. At the first meeting, all involved would do a typical "day one" agenda, involving the exchange of important documents, signing a collaborative agreement, and discussing timely issues. The parties, the attorneys, and all professionals including the coach and the financial neutral are on the collaborative agreement to sign. All professionals and the clients are at all of the meetings.
6. At the end of each meeting the participants discuss homework aka "action items" and get the next meeting scheduled. The participants continue until they reach an agreement which they then memorialize.
7. The meetings can take place at any of the professionals' offices or a combination thereof.
Most often, collaborative divorce cases will involve the participation of the parties, their attorneys, and usually a coach (a licensed doctor and/or psychologist) and a financial neutral (a licensed financial professional). Many times, since collaborative coaches are mainly doctors and psychologists, they will also act as the custody professional and may even conduct family sessions outside of the collaborative process. The financial neutral acts as organizer and analyzer of important financial documents and calculating the value of the marital estate. The financial neutral can also help to organize any valuations that need to be done to accurate assess and divide the value of each asset in the marital estate. Additionally, the financial neutral can compile data regarding the spouses' budgets and what their goals may be regarding alimony, child support, and family support going in to the future.
The collaborative process is a unique and effective way to settle a divorce through a thorough analysis of the spouses' future goals and the financial and psychological needs of their family.
Spouses can use the Collaborative Divorce process for a variety of legal issues, including:
Benefits of Collaborative Divorce in Pennsylvania
- Amicable Process: Collaborative divorce promotes a respectful and cooperative atmosphere, enabling couples to part ways amicably, which is especially advantageous for those with children.
- Reduced Conflict: This approach minimizes adversarial interactions, reducing emotional stress and promoting healthier communication throughout the process.
- Faster Resolutions:Collaborative divorce usually results in faster resolutions than traditional litigation, enabling couples to progress with their lives more quickly.
- Cost-Effective: By avoiding lengthy court battles, couples often save on legal fees, making collaborative divorce a more economical choice.
- Control Over Outcomes: Couples have greater input in the decision-making process, allowing them to craft agreements tailored to their unique needs and circumstances.
- Confidential Process:In contrast to court proceedings, which are open to the public, collaborative divorce discussions are kept confidential, safeguarding personal information from public exposure.
- Focus on Future Relationships: The cooperative nature of collaborative divorce helps maintain positive relationships, facilitating better co-parenting arrangements and support networks post-divorce.
Collaborative divorce provides a constructive alternative to traditional divorce methods, emphasizing collaboration and mutual respect; contact our experienced Pittsburgh collaborative divorce attorneys for more information today.
Work With Our Pittsburgh Collaborative Divorce Lawyers!
The attorneys at Notaro Epstein Family Law Group, P.C have over 20 years of experience helping clients with their family law issues. We understand how stressful the divorce process is, that is why our collaborative divorce lawyers work tirelessly to help you achieve the best possible results for your case. Our Allegheny County collaborative divorce attorneys are always accessible to answer your questions, and we are conveniently located near you!
Contact our Pittsburgh collaborative divorce attorneys today for a free initial consultation at (412) 281-1988!
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