When is collaborative divorce a bad idea?

Many couples today see the advantage of collaborative divorce, over the traditional litigated divorce. It’s less adversarial, less public, and often less costly.

That doesn’t mean the collaborative approach will be right for you, however.

Reasons not to collaborate

Think about it. You cannot work peacefully together with someone you don’t trust … someone who has a history of domineering or abusive behavior – someone who is not as into the spirit of working peacefully together as you are. The same applies to partners with drug or alcohol problems.

Collaborative divorce is not always the best solution when substantial sums are involved, or complex financial situations. When major assets are stake, the harder it is to part with it.

Obviously, if you suspect your partner is hiding major assets, a friendly agreement about what is on the table will not do.

In short — when the person you are divorcing has treated you as an adversary for years, a traditional adversarial divorce is probably the best route to take.

The choice is yours

At Trotto Law Firm, we provide the full array of divorce options – in-court litigation, mediated divorce and collaborative divorce.

The hardest part of any divorce involves the assets most precious to you – your children, and what kind of future they will have. Collaborative divorce often succeeds in bending both sides to the best interests of the children.

Collaborative divorce seeks to put a lid on excessive emotion, to find a peaceful and practical way out of an unhappy situation. But a great deal depends on your individual situation, and what you need to happen.

We welcome the opportunity to explain your options, and to understand your story so that we can aim for the most satisfactory outcome.