When you divorce the other parent of your children, does your relationship disappear, or does it become redefined? In reality, the choice is yours. You don’t have to be best friends with your former spouse, but you might consider a collaborative divorce to make the whole process go smoothly for you and the kids. Aside from keeping your children out of a stressful courtroom environment, collaborative divorce can have several benefits for your kids’ adjustment and well-being.
Read: What Is Collaborative Divorce?
Read: ADR & Divorce
1) Collaborative divorce reduces conflict.
The level of conflict in a divorce can often have more impact on your children than the divorce itself. In fact, research has shown that a low-conflict divorce can help your children adjust to the changes ahead. This is exactly what a collaborative divorce can provide. Unlike the resentful, sometimes war-like environment that litigation creates, collaborative divorce is peaceful by nature. As the name suggests, it encourages cooperation between you and your ex-spouse, allowing you to resolve issues together with a professional attorney on each side.
2) Collaborative divorce promotes emotional stability for spouses and children.
Again, conflict has a toxic effect on children. When they see you fighting with your ex-spouse, they can lose their ability to cope with divorce. Similarly, it’s easy to bring the stress of a courtroom battle back home to your kids. Collaborative divorce promotes calm, level-headed discussion. It will help you stay emotionally strong, allowing you to take better care of your children during the divorce process. You’ll also send out positive vibes to support their own emotional adjustment.
3) Collaborative process can resolve financial issues.
Plenty of research supports the fact that children do better in financially stable households. Money paves the way for better education, health care, and overall quality of life. Collaborative divorce is more economical in many ways, and gives you the opportunity to fairly divide your assets in a way that benefits both you and your children.
4) It encourages co-parenting.
In the early stages of divorce, it can be difficult to envision how you’ll get along with your ex-spouse. Collaborative divorce sets a positive precedent for the rest of your relationship. According to the collaborative divorce mentality, your former spouse is more than just an ex you’d like to forget—they’re a co-parent who will always be there for your children. You’ll have the opportunity to work together and solve problems as they come up. Besides, in all likelihood, your children would love to see you both together at soccer games, dance recitals, and holiday dinners. Collaborative divorce can give you more chances to really be there for your kids.
5) It offers outside-the-box solutions.
The time you spend with your children is precious. Do you really want to treat that time like property, fighting over who gets what? Collaborative divorce encourages you both to find creative solutions to challenges related to child custody, visitation, and more.
6) Collaborative divorces respect your family’s one-of-a-kind nature.
Your family is not like other families. When you divorce, your family’s unique culture doesn’t simply disappear—it just needs to be reworked to reflect your new situation. Collaborative divorce puts excellent decision-making tools in your hands, allowing you to take your family’s individual needs into account.
If you like the idea of collaborative divorce, but you’re not sure it’s right for you, consult an experienced attorney. When you visit the law firm of Freed Marcroft, we will explain the differences between the different approaches to divorce — mediation, collaborative divorce, and litigation — and help you make the best decisions for your particular needs. Please give us a call to begin the discussion.
