How is Collaborative Divorce different from Divorce Litigation?
In collaborative divorce, you and your spouse control the process and make final decisions. In divorce litigation, the judge controls the process and makes the final decisions. In collaboration, you and your spouse pledge to be respectful and open on all the issues. Litigation is based on an adversarial process and parties tend to try to “hide the ball” in order to gain an advantage. In collaboration, the costs are manageable and usually less expensive than litigation. In litigation, the costs are unpredictable and can escalate very quickly. The fees you pay to your collaborative lawyer are primarily for time spent with your lawyer in the collaborative meetings. The fees you pay to your litigation lawyer are often for hours of time spent by your lawyer reviewing financial documents and preparing for trial. In collaboration, you and your spouse determine the timetable. The average case can be completed in three to eight months. In litigation, how long your case takes depends on the cour
