Who do collaborative divorces work well for?

When going through divorce, you do not have to immediately head to court. In fact, this expensive and stressful option is often a last resort in the eyes of many.

Instead, you can look at some alternative divorce methods such as collaborative divorce. However, this option does not suit everyone perfectly.

How collaborative divorce works

Cornell Law School discusses collaborative divorce as an option to avoid court. Collaborative divorce involves each person in the marriage hiring a personal representative to negotiate on their behalf in divorce meetings.

The meetings take place with all four individuals – the two members of the couple and their representatives – and no less. In the meetings, negotiations will happen regarding important matters such as child custody, child or spousal support payments, visitation rights, and the division of assets and debt.

Representatives may ask for the couple to hire mediators as well. These mediators have specialized skill in de-escalation and argument management, so they can help smooth the way and make collaborating even easier.

Who it works best for

This type of divorce often works best for couples who start off with uncontested divorce and only have a few areas that they disagree on and need to work through. In general, the couple should have an ability to tolerate each other well enough to work together and hold discussions about potentially tense and stressful topics.

If this is not possible, other alternative methods of divorce still exist. Some of these other methods require a little less cooperation, which could benefit couples who do not have the ability to work together closely yet.