The collaborative process helps people turn divorce into a healing experience.
BENEFITS of COLLABORATIVE DIVORCE and MEDIATION
People save not only time and money, but also heartache by getting support for respectful, healing divorces. Through the collaborative process, lawyers, divorce coaches and financial specialists work together to help families deal with issues common to divorcing families. With emotional support and a practical review of creative options, people make better financial decisions. Better financial decisions make for a smoother legal process.
Collaborative professionals help children by helping parents end their marriages and begin their co-parenting relationships. We help divorcing spouses declare peace in their process of creating two households out of one. We focus on the emotional, physical and financial wellbeing of all family members. We support people to respond with respect to stressful and challenging situations, rather than reacting with anger.
DIFFERENT FROM TRADITIONAL DIVORCE
Our legal system relies on adversarial combat. Our culture rewards warriors with money and fame. Yet combat produces results that destroy families and communities. Collaborative professionals are peacemakers. If people decide to separate, we offer support and assistance negotiating a peaceful and constructive settlement.
SEATTLE DIVORCE ATTORNEY and MEDIATOR
After more than 26 years as a Seattle divorce attorney and mediator, I have seen enough suffering in divorce court. I am committed to helping families divorce differently. Like thousands of other collaborative divorce professionals around the world, I am committed to helping people renegotiate their relationships and make a positive change the course of their lives.
DIVORCE SERVICES AROUND PUGET SOUND
I offer collaborative divorce, mediation and limited legal services in Seattle and Puget Sound. We begin with a free 15 minute phone conversation, in which we get a sense of whether or not to meet in person. In our first meeting, I help you clarify your goals and give you information and options. We set priorities, and I support you to take your next step in a complex set of related issues.
One common next step is to talk to your spouse about how to have an effective conversation about separation. For example, you can explore the pros and cons of kitchen table negotiation, mediation, collaboration or litigation. At various points you look at timeframes, financial information, temporary bill paying, parenting, living situations and post-divorce spending plans. Later in your process you separate your finances, decide what to do with your family home, divide your property and debt equitably and make healthy and practical arrangements for raising your children. An ongoing issue is self-care as you transition from married to single life.
COST of DIVORCE
Your cost depends on the divorce process you choose, issues you must address and how long you and your spouse take to work through them. If you are able to sit down at your kitchen table and work out agreements, download forms from the internet and fill them out correctly, you need less help than if you hire a litigator and direct him/her to get you the best deal possible.
I charge by the hour for the time I spend working with you. Since the issue of how to contain costs is a common one, we talk about your financial situation and ways to accomplish your goals within your spending plan. I provide my services outside of Court. Generally you save money by staying out of Court.
My goal is to help you and your spouse create an acceptable, out-of-court settlement that lasts. Well crafted arrangements pay for themselves in the long run. Rather than returning to Court frequently at great financial and emotional expense, you choose to keep your original agreements, agree to mutually acceptable changes or get support to come to an agreement.
YOU GAIN NEGOTIATION AND COMMUNICATION SKILLS TO USE ELSEWHERE IN YOUR LIFE
If you explore ways to turn your divorce into a healing process, you learn and practice negotiation and communication skills. These skills serve you, your family and your communities for the rest of your life. The more people who learn to work through and with conflict, the more peace we have in our world. If you bring respect and kindness to yourself and your family as you divorce, as well as find appropriate outlets for your anger and sadness, everyone benefits.
