Clearwater Florida Family Law Attorney
Collaborative Divorce Law
Collaborative Divorce is a new way for you to dissolve your marriage without litigation. In your typical divorce case, each party hires their own lawyer and/or other experts and the parties then engage in an adversarial process where each tries to prove the other party wrong about any given issue. The result is, almost always, that there is more hostility at the end of the case than there was at the beginning.
Imagine a process where the Parties and their Attorneys agree, before the divorce action is even filed, to work together in a cooperative manner to help the Parties resolve their disputes with a minimum of hostility. This process is known as Collaborative Divorce.
A Collaborative Divorce, also called a “peaceful divorce” is designed to offer you and your spouse the protection and guidance you need to successfully complete your divorce without the need for litigation. You and your spouse will both have access to your own Attorney, and then, if necessary, you will hire jointly approved experts to assist in the process. In a case involving complicated financial issues, the parties might agree to hire a joint accountant, or a Certified Divorce Financial Analyst. When faced with difficulties on children’s issues, the parties could bring in a mental health therapist, parent coordinator, mediator or other beneficial professionals to assist the Parties in resolving all of the issues which must be addressed.
The process begins with the Collaborative Agreement which requires that all Parties and their Attorneys negotiate, in good faith, to reach a mutually acceptable settlement without the need for the Court to decide an issue. The Parties and their Attorneys also agree that they will provide all relevant financial information and that they will maintain open communication between the Parties regarding the various issues to be resolved. Ultimately, the goal of a Collaborative Divorce is for the Parties to be able to create shared solutions acknowledging the best interest of the Parties and their children.
Only professionals who have completed extensive training in the area of collaborate law can be certified by the International Academy of Collaborative Professionals. Mr. Williams has completed that training and has been certified by the Academy as a Collaborative Divorce Attorney and Mr. Williams was the President of the Collaborative Divorce Institute of Tampa Bay for 2010. For a listing of other collaborative professionals in the Tampa Bay area, please visit www.collaborativedivorceinstituteoftampabay.org.
Mr. Williams also brings to the collaborative process the fact that he has been designated as a Certified Divorce Financial Analyst by the Institute for Divorce Financial Analysts. CDFA's have had extensive additional training in the areas of taxes, pensions, business evaluations and various types of financial scenarios. A CDFA can be an invaluable asset in the divorce process because of their understanding of values today, and their understanding of how the passage of time may effect the assets the parties are being awarded as a part of the divorce process. You see, divorce is not just about today, it is also going to have a significant effect on your financial future.
For more information on the Collaborative Family Law process, you can go to the website of the Academy for Collaborative Professions by clicking here: www.collaborativepractice.com or call our office today to schedule a consultation to discuss how a collaborative divorce can help you end your marriage with respect, dignity and everyone’s best interest at heart. You can reach Faye, our Scheduling Coordinator at 727-475-6857 or toll free at 888-440-0942.
