A collaborative divorce may be an ideal way to resolve outstanding issues without the need to go to a North Carolina family court. As the name suggests, a collaborative divorce allows you and your spouse to work together to come to terms on child support, alimony and other items in a peaceful manner.
Courts may require collaboration
If you choose to take your case to trial, the judge overseeing the matter might require you to go back to the negotiating table. In the event that you decide to head straight to court, the judge might require at least one mediation session prior to setting a court date. This is because a trial can be a long, expensive and traumatizing process in which you have little to no control over the outcome. Therefore, it’s often a good idea to at least try mediation if you feel as if you and your spouse can negotiate in good faith.
You’ll work with a team of advisers
Unlike a traditional divorce process, a collaborative process allows you to work with financial professionals and others who can help you take a holistic approach to divorce. This can help you negotiate a settlement that takes your needs as well as the needs of your spouse and children into consideration. Ultimately, doing so can result in a quicker settlement that helps you now and in the future.
Other potential benefits of a collaborative divorce
A collaborative divorce is not a matter of public record, which is ideal if you want to keep the matter private for yourself or your child. It also tends to preserve your emotional, physical and mental health, which means that you’ll be strong enough to care for yourself and your children as talks unfold.
A divorce settlement is often easier and less expensive to structure outside of court. However, if you don’t feel as if you can negotiate in good faith with your spouse, you can still take the matter to court. The same is true if there are still outstanding issues after going through the process.