There’s hope this year if you choose collaborative law to handle your separation.
The holidays are upon us; soon it will be a new year. You have shelved the topic of divorce in order to keep the holidays peaceful for your family and friends but now it’s time to take a deep breath, and start your list of hopes and dreams for the new year.
Consider your divorce options; do your homework, research local attorneys, and decide if you want to litigate your divorce (go to court) or use the collaborative process, a more peaceful, less stressful approach to achieving settlement without the direct involvement of a court or a judge.
Factors to consider:
- Who do you want to make the decisions about how you live your life going forward? You and your spouse, or a judge who doesn’t know you or your kids, or share your values?
- How much money do you want to spend on your divorce? You could spend less using collaborative divorce since you and your spouse are on the same team controlling where your money is spent. Or not. You could be another statistic; The warring spouses that always try to outspend each other, engaging in unpredictable litigation costs that are usually duplicated and escalated out of control.
- How much time do you want your divorce to take? You could opt for the minimal timetable controlled by your team. Or you could rely on the court dockets that are normally overcrowded and delayed. By all means…let’s drag the process out.
- Do you want lawyers who will counsel you and your spouse in order to generate “win-win” solutions… or trial attorneys who just want to fight it out in court in order to make as much money as they can?
- Do you want a process that’s confidential… or one that is open to public scrutiny?
Because of the growing popularity of the collaborative process, you now have amicable options for your divorce. There is hope for a life not jaded by divorce, but brightened by freedom and second chances.
Please visit my website for additional information and to schedule a free consultation.
About this week’s featured authors: Sheila Fickes and Joryn Jenkins.
Joryn, attorney and Open Palm Founder, began her own firm here in Tampa after a 14-year career in law while also serving as a full-time professor in law at Stetson University. She is a recipient of the prestigious A. Sherman Christensen award, an honor bestowed upon those who have provided exceptional leadership to The American Inns of Court Movement. For more information on Joryn’s professional experience, take a look at her resume.
Sheila moved to Tampa in 1980 and joined the Open Palm team in 2000. Before her interest in law, Sheila worked as an executive assistant/office manager for companies in engineering and marketing, and as associate vice president for a local bank consulting firm. Sheila was also a former ballerina with the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre (“PBT”) and performed in some of ballet’s classics, like Les Sylphides, Swan Lake, Nutcracker, Scheherazade, and Romeo & Juliet.
