Eden Prairie Collaborative Law Attorneys

Many non-lawyers are not yet familiar with the collaborative law process and the benefits it offers. As you explore and think about collaborative law as a possible way of resolving your divorce, it may be helpful to visualize it as a four-step process. The ultimate goal of the process is to achieve a divorce settlement that is tailored to your family's unique needs.

The Four Stages of the Collaborative Law Process

Stage 1 − Initial steps: Collaborative divorce utilizes the efforts of a team of professionals who have training in certain specific fields. The initial phase of a collaborative divorce process typically involves:

• Scheduling a time for the parties and their attorneys to meet
• Signing the collaborative participation agreement, which is a contract in which everyone pledges to keep the divorce out of court
• Setting joint and individual goals
• Choosing additional team members, which may include a child specialist, a divorce coach and/or a financial planner

Stage 2 − Information gathering: At this stage, the goal is to help the team understand the behavioral, emotional and financial features of your family, the things that make yours unique. At this stage, initial meetings are typically conducted with your child specialist and/or financial neutral to gather information that will assist you and the team in devising creative solutions for your family. It includes:

Stage 3 − Create options: The collaborative law process helps parties understand and respect each other's positions. Aided by the skilled team members, you are empowered to:

• Explore possible resolutions to child custody, asset division and all other divorce-related issues
• Assess the potential pros and cons of each resolution in a non-judgmental, safe environment

Stage 4 − Reaching a solution: This last step is about reaching a final resolution, outside of court and without needless resentment. It involves:

• Outlining a settlement that addresses as many of each party's concerns as possible
• Finalizing the agreement

At Bloch & Whitehouse, P.A., we believe the collaborative law process can be a better alternative for divorcing spouses than traditional litigation. In our experience, the safety of the collaborative environment allows couples to speak honestly, which leads to positive resolutions for each party and their children.

Contact an Eagan Divorce Lawyer

To learn more about the collaborative law process and whether it may benefit you and your family, reach out to the attorneys of Bloch & Whitehouse, P.A., to talk about it. Call 952-224-9977. You can also contact our law firm online.

We represent men and women from Minneapolis, St. Paul and throughout the Twin Cities metro area. For your convenience, we offer free initial consultations and accept Visa and MasterCard.