There are numerous benefits for you to undertake collaborative practice, including the following:
- Avoid litigation:
By avoiding litigation, you avoid the costly and timely processes involved in taking a matter through the court system. Non-litigious solutions are more flexible, less stressful and avoid the imposition of court orders you may have little to no say in. Additionally, by agreeing from the outset not to end up litigating, everyone is encouraged to work hard to reach agreement. - Maintain a respectful relationship:
Collaborative practice aims to maintain and improve respectful communication and, if you have minor or adult children together, affirm your relationship as parents. This increases the prospect of commitment to the agreed solution, and future cooperation with each other. - Reduce conflict and stress on your family:
Collaborative practice works to lessen conflict between you and your partner by communication of interests, concerns and desires. It also prioritises the best interests of your children and helps shield your children from the stress of being exposed to conflict. This assists with future co-parenting. - Decide the solution:
By using collaborative practice, you and your partner maintain control of the outcome reached and avoid delegating this to the court or others. - Avoid excessive costs:
While you will pay legal fees, because collaborative practice demands transparency from you and your partner and eliminates the prospect of court, some lawyer time and therefore costs are saved. - Timely process:
Collaborative practice meetings can be scheduled without delay, at times convenient to you, your partner and the collaborative professionals. - Engage the assistance of other professionals:
In addition to lawyers, collaborative practice may involve assistance from collaborative coaches, financial professionals, child specialists and/or other experts, which aid in forming a shared solution. - Specially trained professionals:
Collaborative professionals are specially trained to deal with conflict resolution and guiding you to an effective resolution of your family law issues. - Focus on the future:
Collaborative practice focuses on developing effective solutions as opposed to getting stuck on grievances and other relationship issues. - Confidential and private
As the collaborative practice process is confidential, you avoid the public exposure of your family law issues in a Court setting and the impact on your and your family’s reputation.