Good divorce?

There is a new kind of divorce that is gaining popularity. It really seems to be a viable alternative to the typical knock-down drag-out divorces that most of us are accustomed to. It is where people actually sit down and talk. And listen. And then try to work out what is going to be the best solution for everybody involved. There is no yelling, no screaming, no arguing. It's all very civil. It's called "collaborative divorce".

In a collaborative divorce, the parties involved must seek out an attorney that is specially trained to handle this type of case. Often, the divorcing couple is introduced to not only lawyers, but also financial planners and other professionals as needed to help them take stock of themselves and their assets, and to help them figure out how they can live after the divorce.

Persons going through a collaborative divorce typically never appear in court. There is no need for that as everything is worked out between the parties, and there is no need to go in front of a judge and duke it out. Collaborative divorce is easier on everyone involved, both financially and emotionally, and it is based on respect, both for each other and for yourselves. Many people who have started the process of a collaborative divorce hating each other have come out the other side of the divorce as close friends, still involved in each others lives, and both still very much involved in their children's lives. If a divorce can be a good thing, the collaborative divorce comes closest to a positive divorce as anything I have ever seen.