Collaborative Divorce Calgary
Calgary Collaborative Divorce Law Services
Divorce as usual isn’t the only choice any longer
Divorce does not have to escalate the conflict between two people. This type of divorce is a solution-oriented process to settle your divorce without going to court.
The heart of Collaborative Divorce (also called “collaborative practice” “collaborative law” “no-court divorce,” “divorce with dignity,” and “peaceful divorce”) is to offer you and your spouse or partner the support, protection, and guidance of your own Calgary family lawyers without going to court.
Advantages To This Type Of Divorce include:
1. Preserve Assets
2. Focus on the welfare of children
3. Preserve confidentiality
4. Maintain control of decision making
5. Look to the future
Our Divorce Options:
Trained Experts with Specialized Skills
In collaborative divorce, a team of trained experts with specialized skills and information are available to help manage the emotional and financial aspects of your divorce. Your Calgary divorce team may include financial advisors and mental health professionals serving as divorce coaches and child specialists. The goal of all professionals is to educate and support you and your spouse in reaching an agreement that will meet the long-term interests of all family members.
Your Calgary family lawyer and other trained experts will assist you with the following:
- Negotiating an intelligent settlement agreement, respectfully, without having courts decide issues;
- Facilitating effective communication and information sharing; and
- Assisting you and your spouse to create shared solutions acknowledging the interests and objectives that you have identified as most important to you.
This divorce negotiating process is characterized by a series of meetings between you and your spouse or partner, your Calgary family lawyers and the appropriate collaborative team members. The meetings will provide you with the structure and support for achieving a settlement that is in the best interest of all family members.
At McNeill Family Law, we believe that most divorces or family law Calgary disputes can benefit from this solution-oriented process. However, Collaborative Divorce is most successful when both parties agree to use the process and retain a family lawyer who is highly competent and trained in Collaborative Law. If you are interested in this process, please refer your spouse or partner to the website WWW.COLLABORATIVEPRACTICE.CA to find trained Family Law lawyers in Calgary.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can any lawyer be a Collaborative Divorce lawyer?
Although any family lawyer can technically say they can do collaborative divorce, you will want to make sure you hire a Registered Collaborative Family Law Lawyer who has received specialised training in the Harvard Model of Interest Based Negotiation Theory (based on the Win-Win Paradigm set out in “Getting to Yes” by Roger Fisher and William Ury). It is also important they also have a minimum of 40 hours of Family Mediation Training.
What are the principles for Collaborative Divorce?
- Negotiating the dissolution of your marriage in an atmosphere of honesty, co-operation, integrity and professionalism geared toward your future well-being and the well-being of your family;
- Giving full, honest and open disclosure of all relevant information, whether requested or not;
- Protecting the privacy, respect and dignity of all involved;
- Maintaining a high standard of integrity and specifically will not take advantage of your spouse, and will not take advantage of the miscalculations or inadvertent mistakes of others, and;
- No contested court applications.
Can any divorce be a Collaborative Divorce?
In order for you and your lawyers to elect the Collaborative Process, you must sign a Collaborative contract which sets out the rules which are consistent with the principles that have been set out in the principles of collaborative divorce.
How is Collaborative Law different from traditional litigation?
This model is distinct from negotiating within a traditional litigation context which is based on a Win-Lose Adversarial Model and approximately 700 Rules of Court. The Rules dictate everything from how much information you must disclose; when you must disclose information; how you give evidence; how a lawyer can Discover you; how and when a lawyer can Cross Examine you; how a lawyer can make demands for you to appear in court, etc.
How Do I get started?
Calgary family law lawyer, Beryl McNeill has extensive training and experience with assisting clients with a Collaborative Divorce. If you are interested in learning more about this option, call 587-956-9300 to speak with Beryl or schedule an appointment.
McNeil Family Law
Calgary Divorce Lawyer
Call to book a consultation: 587-956-9300
Registered Calgary Collaborative Law Practitioner
Address: #200, 638 11 Ave S.W. Calgary, AB
Book a Consultation
Call 587-956-9300 or fill out the form below to book a consultation.