Just because you are separating or divorcing doesn’t mean your personal and financial life need to be on public display The collaborative process can maintain your family’s privacy regarding very personal issues like parenting arrangements and finances. By working together on a divorce agreement, you and your spouse can come to terms on sensitive issues that will later be presented to the court in a much less public fashion, providing for you and any children involved. You are also taking a proactive step in avoiding the type of confrontation that can often result in privacy breaches for both parties.
Protecting your privacy can be particularly helpful if children are involved. In the collaborative process, you and your spouse work with your attorneys to create a parenting plan that is uniquely suited to your children’s best interests, addressing both parents’ concerns. With this type of cooperative negotiation, you have the opportunity to work out the kinks together with the help of an experienced professional; only your final agreements are included in the divorce decree.
Although your final divorce decree is a public document, you can work with your attorney to draft it in a way that protects all involved parties, guarding information that may be sensitive or compromising to the health of your family. The collaborative process protects your family’s privacy as the entire process is confidential, including the discussions in your meetings with your spouse, the recommendations and work of any neutral professionals, and of course any discussions you have with your attorney.
By agreeing to work together peacefully, you and your spouse can avoid many of the emotional ups and downs that can come with a traditional divorce. During the highs and lows of a more combative process, even the most reasonable and respectful person can become carried away, lashing out or spreading information with the intent to hurt the other party. While divorce is an emotional process no matter what, the collaborative method is designed to mitigate unnecessary confrontation with an innovative team approach that works to preserve the positive aspects of your relationship.