The Differences Between Collaborative Divorce and Litigation

The Differences between Collaborative Divorce and Litigation Collaborative Law Litigation Fact 1: In collaborative cases, 100% of every dollar spent is dedicated toward achieving the goal of settlement. 0% is spent preparing for trial. Fact 1: In traditional divorce litigation, both the husband and wife can waste thousands of dollars by hiring competing expert witnesses to value businesses, trace assets, or make recommendations regarding custody of the children or possession of the children. Who Has Control? Who Has Control? Fact 2: In traditional divorce litigation, neither you nor your spouse exercises much control over the process. You have virtually no control over the outcome because the judge or jury makes the decisions at trial. Fact 2: In collaborative cases, the spouses control both the process and the outcome. Neutrality X Versus Y Fact 3: In collaborative cases, experts are jointly engaged and serve as neutrals. They don't take sides or play favorites. For most cases, no more than one neutral financial expert is needed. Fact 3: The goal in litigation is to beat the other side; and one way to do that is to resist producing documents and information during discovery in the hope of bushwhacking the other party at trial. Bottom Line: Bottom Line: Less expensive, proceedings are peaceful, and less people and time are involved. Expensive, proceedings can prove to be very difficult, and more people and time are involved. For more information on collaborative law, please visit http://cedarpark.zdfamilylaw.com. Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/curtis-harrison/facing divorce in an-unce b_816968.htmi. Zinda Davis