For a number of reasons, some marriages simply don’t work out. Spouses may realize they want different things in life. For example, one spouse may want to have children whereas his or her spouse does not. Maybe financial troubles served to erode a marriage or, after years of marriage and rising children, spouses come to realize that they are no longer in love with one another.

Divorce is common in the U.S., yet the process of going through a divorce is not easy or something anyone looks forward to. For some individuals and couples, the idea of spending months divulging some of the most personal and private details of one’s life to strangers while they  attempt to negotiate favorable terms on one’s behalf, may seem unnecessary.

Not all divorces are contentious. For some couples, a collaborative divorce provides a welcome alternative to the traditional divorce litigation process. In order for the collaborative process to be successful, both individuals must commit to working together to compromise and come up with solutions to divorce matters that would otherwise need to be decided in court.

For couples who are able to proceed with the collaborative divorce process, the advantages over a traditional divorce are great. Not only is the collaborative process less combative and therefore less stressful, but it is also typically less time consuming and costly.

Most importantly, individuals are afforded more control over the divorce process and not only allowed, but encouraged to speak to one another to resolve matters related to the division of marital assets, child custody and spousal support. Additionally, divorcing parents who are able to effectively communicate through the collaborative process will likely have a better co-parenting relationship moving forward.

Source: FindLaw.com, “How Collaborative Divorce Works: FAQs,” 2014