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Helping You Navigate The Collaborative Law Divorce Process

Collaborative divorce allows couples to work together to reach mutually agreeable divorce terms. Consequently, collaborative divorce allows you and your ex-spouse to decide important matters in regard to child custody and the division of marital property without having a judge dictate terms to you. Here, couples can decide how assets will be divided, how marital debt will be taken care of, and what sort of child custody and parenting time schedule works best for them.

While divorce terms are still subject to approval by the court, collaborative divorce empowers couples to create a divorce settlement that works best for everyone involved, avoiding angry, costly and protracted divorce battles in court. At the Law Office of Lori Watson, we counsel and represent Georgetown clients interested in a collaborative law divorce.

If you are interested in learning more about the collaborative divorce process, contact divorce lawyer Lori Watson today to schedule an appointment and learn more about how we can help you.

Choosing The Terms Of Your Divorce

Collaborative divorce provides a forum for settling issues related to the following in finalizing the terms of your divorce.

  • Division of marital property and assets
  • Exchanging the marital home for exemption of retirement funds from marital property division
  • Settling of marital debt — who pays what
  • Determining child custody arrangements
  • Creating a parenting plan
  • Providing solutions that minimize the need for post-divorce modifications and enforcement actions

The Collaborative Divorce Process — What Is Involved?

Both husband and wife have to agree to participate in the collaborative process. Each spouse must retain his or her own attorney. Also involved will be a mental health professional and, if needed, a financial counselor. Both spouses are required to make a full financial disclosure of their assets and debts. Once the collaborative family law team is assembled, the parties begin discussing the terms for their divorce.

The mental health professional is in charge of running the meetings but is primarily used to help with communication, underscoring the rights and duties of parents, and helping with issues that might arise in connection to a couple’s children. The financial planner is on hand to assist with financial questions, budgets, spreadsheets and valuing and tracing assets and debts.

Throughout the collaborative process, the couple will reach mutually agreeable terms for dividing marital assets, debts, property, assigning custody, paying for health coverage, parenting time, etc. The law in Texas allows couples to be creative. This is especially important in the division of marital property and in the assignment of custody and visitation rights. Here, couples can negotiate how to divide marital property while making sure marital debt is paid off as well. This is especially important for protecting your credit and beginning life after divorce.

Contact Our Firm To Learn More About Collaborative Divorce

There are a number of advantages to settling your divorce through the collaborative law process. If you and your spouse are willing to sit down and talk, contact the Law Office of Lori Watson today to schedule an appointment and learn how we can help you. We can be reached via email, or by phone at 512-931-2121.