The breakdown of a marriage is always traumatic, and many people think that their options are either to go to court where things can get ugly and expensive, or to go to mediation where they receive no independent advice or guidance. That is not the case.
There are a number of other ways and one increasingly used option is Collaborative Family Law. This is a model that has been designed to help couples divorce with dignity, and without using the court process. The model focuses upon solutions and results tailored to the family by identifying common goals, and the lawyers working together, whilst still advising their clients and acting in their best interests, to help ensure that a fair and cost-effective outcome is achieved.
The cornerstone of collaborative is a willingness to work together to reach a solution that works for everyone, as well as mutual trust and respect. The model ensures that any children of the family will always be considered first and foremost, and that their needs will be at the centre of any decisions to be made.
We have extensive experience in collaborative cases, as well as the more traditional ways of dealing with divorce and separation. In our experience, collaborative offers a much better way of working things out. One huge advantage that proves this is that it allows factors that the court do not address to be dealt with. For example, there could be issues around emotional support for one or both of the couple and/or their children; there may be a business or other assets that need some joined up thinking as to how they could be dealt with to maximise tax efficiency. Collaborative enables those matters to be identified, and where necessary, the appropriate financial or accountancy advice can be sought for the benefit of all.
Clients can be concerned that the involvement of other professionals may increase their costs. That is an understandable concern, but in our experience, getting the right team in place at an early stage can lead to considerable savings, both financially and time wise.
We think it is important before embarking on a divorce or separation to speak with your lawyer, to get to know each other a little better, and to be satisfied that you can work together. Therefore, we always offer a free initial discussion with one of our experienced specialist lawyers and if you would like to understand more about collaborative family law (or indeed the other process options), then please contact Jason Evans for an informal no obligation chat. Call our Romsey office on 01794 328 688, or send Jason an email at moc.n1714134366ellub1714134366rekra1714134366p@sna1714134366ve.no1714134366saJ1714134366.
