Saskatoon Collaborative Divorce Lawyers Leading Clients Through the Dispute Resolution Process

If you know you need to divorce your spouse, but you feel sick to your stomach every time you picture yourself in the courtroom, it’s important to know you have other options. When you want an effective way to separate from your spouse while keeping the peace between you both, you should consider the collaborative divorce process.

This is a process that lets you end your marriage without battling out your issues in court, making it possible to keep your relationship civil. If you plan on co-parenting, the collaborative family law process may be an especially appealing option that works for your family. If you want to see if it’s right for you, come to Panko Collaborative Law & Mediation to talk to our caring Saskatoon collaborative divorce lawyers.

What is Collaborative Divorce?

First, you should learn how collaborative law works. Simply put, it’s a process that lets couples work together to negotiate the terms of the divorce without setting foot in a courtroom. When you go through the collaborative process, you and your spouse must agree that you want to settle conflicts as peacefully as possible. This way, you can come to an agreement on parenting arrangements, property division, spousal support, and other family law matters that are fraught with emotion and anger.

In fact, before you enter into the collaborative process, you and your spouse will need to sign a participation agreement. This means you both agree to statements that include:

• You both plan to avoid going to court.
• You agree to allow third-party professionals to get involved when necessary, such as family therapists or accountants.
• You’re committed to making this a non-adversarial method that focuses on honesty, cooperation, and teamwork to come to an agreement out of court.
• You will shield the children from disagreements you have with their other parent during the collaborative process.
• You will not misrepresent or withhold information from your spouse or the collaborative professionals involved.
• Either party can cancel the collaborative process and go to court if they believe it’s necessary.
• However, your collaborative lawyer cannot represent you if you decide to proceed to the courtroom.

If you think you and your spouse can agree to the requirements of the participation agreement, come talk to our collaborative lawyers at our Saskatoon law offices. We can tell you if your divorce case is right for this process and how to get started.

How Does the Collaborative Process Work?

The first step is talking to Saskatoon collaborative professionals to find out if they recommend this technique. If the answer is yes, and you and your spouse are eager to try this process, you will both need to sign the participation agreement.

You each need to hire your own collaborative divorce lawyer. It’s important to hire someone who has experience working with collaborative family law and is not interested in pushing you to go to court. Keep in mind that while collaborative professionals want both parties to come to an agreement, your dedicated divorce counsel in Saskatoon will still represent your own best interests to ensure you’re happy with the results.

You will then meet with your lawyer to discuss your interests. Your spouse will have the same meeting with their lawyer. At that point in the collaborative law process, you’re ready to have meetings with your lawyer, your spouse, and their lawyer. That’s when the four of you will discuss what each party wants and how you will come to an agreement.

It may take a number of meetings to agree on terms, but when that happens, you will sign a settlement agreement and apply for a divorce if you are married. If you’re interested in taking this route, we invite you to talk to our collaborative divorce lawyers in Saskatoon today.

What Are the Benefits of This Type of Divorce?

If you’re not sure if collaborative family law is right for you, consider the advantages you stand to gain.

It may be more likely that you will both be satisfied with the outcome since you will take time to arrive at a compromise rather than having a judge decide your terms. Additionally, using cooperative strategies is more private than going to court. So, if you wish to keep the terms of your divorce out of the public record and away from prying eyes, collaborative law may be right for you. A lawyer at Panko Collaborative Law & Mediation can give you more information if you’re intrigued by this option.

Do I Need To Hire Collaborative Divorce Lawyers?

Choosing a collaborative divorce does not mean you avoid hiring lawyers. In fact, you need someone on your side at every meeting to support you and provide legal advice. Make sure the lawyer you hire is collaboratively trained.

If you’re ready to look into the collaborative law process for your divorce, or if you want to find out if our collaborative divorce lawyers in Saskatoon are right for you, come to our law firm today. Our lawyers would be happy to discuss your options for a non-adversarial approach to conflict resolution, whether that means using the collaborative method, mediation, or another technique. Call us at 306-518-8107 for an initial consultation.