Collaborative Law

The end of a marriage or relationship can be tragic enough. Often, the process of divorcing only adds to the pain. You and your spouse may come to see each other as adversaries and the divorce as a battleground. You may experience feelings of confusion, anger, loss and conflict. Under such circumstances, you might find it difficult to see an end to divorce, much less imagine a hopeful future.
But it doesn’t have to be this way. A growing number of parting couples, along with other professionals such as lawyers, mental health professionals and financial consultants, have been seeking a more constructive alternative. These professionals have developed the Collaborative Law Practice model.

Collaborative Law Practice is a reasonable approach to divorce based on three principles:

A pledge not to go to court
An honest exchange of information by both spouses
A solution that takes into account the highest priorities of both spouses and their children

Mutual respect is fundamental to the collaborative way. You may cease being spouses, but you don’t cease being worthy human beings. When respect is given and received, discussions are likely to be more productive and an agreement reached more easily.

A Choice...

Pursuing resolution of your case through Collaborative Law is a choice, and might not be the right choice for every situation. Having an attorney who is Collaboratively trained, like Jonathan R. Deenik, gives you the option to purse resolution in the manner you choose.

What is different?

The key difference between Collaborative Law Practice and conventional divorce is the pledge to reach an agreement without going to court. You and your spouse keep control of the decisions yourselves, rather than giving them up to a judge. All of the parties consent in writing to be part of a respectful process that leads to an out-of-court resolution. With Collaborative Law Practice, the goal is to develop effective relationships, solve problems jointly, and prevent a court battle.boris nisi.

Support you need

Divorce usually involves many considerations, from concern for children to financial questions to property matters. Along with handling the overall emotional impact, managing by yourself can be difficult. For that reason, Collaborative Law Practice offers you a supportive approach. You and your lawyer work as a team. Other professionals–including mental health professionals, child specialists, and financial consultants–can become part of your team, helping find constructive solutions to deal with divorce’s wide-ranging issues and to establish goals for the future.