These are very expensive and often unnecessary. Collaborative divorce is a structured private process in which both spouses, their attorneys, and other professionals agree to work toward a settlement without using the court system. All participants sign a participation agreement that requires them to withdraw from the case if it goes to litigation.

The withdrawal obligation creates a strong incentive to reach resolution through the collaborative process because starting over with new attorneys is expensive and disruptive.

Collaborative divorce is not available or appropriate in every case. It requires good faith participation from both parties and works best when both parties genuinely want to resolve their differences privately and constructively.