Divorce and Collaborative Law Attorney – Kingwood, Texas
Professional Representation
After a divorce has been initiated, the sooner you and your spouse can sit down to discuss your divorce and the related issues, the better. At the McNamara Law Office in Kingwood, Texas, I believe it is always in our clients’ best interest to exhaust all options for a negotiated agreement before resorting to the courtroom. Collaborative law can be an efficient and effective alternative to a traditional, litigated, divorce.
Collaborative law provides an open forum for clients to discuss and resolve their issues. Divorce is emotional and can involve contentious issues. Often, a divorce trial only contributes to the level of animosity.
It is always best to try to keep conflict to a minimum, especially when children are involved. Maintaining or building a healthy working relationship with your ex-spouse will make future decisions easier. Collaborative law can help you do that.
Collaborative Law: Divorce without Court
In collaborative law, each party has his or her own divorce attorney as they meet to discuss, or collaborate, on working to reach agreement on the issues of the divorce, including marital assets, parenting decisions, child custody and visitation, child support, and spousal support. The process results in a negotiated agreement. It is not for those who already agree. It is appropriate in a divorce where the parties want to retain control over the outcome and maximize the use of their time. When a Judge decides, you give control of the outcome and the use of your time to Judge.
Collaborative law is not only for those who agree with the divorce. It is also appropriate for situations in which one spouse does not want a divorce. It can work when the parties are far apart, angry, or scared. The only commitment is that both agree to work in good faith and without turning the decision over to a Judge. If, ultimately, agreement cannot be reached, the remaining issues can be taken to Judge. It does not require that you trust your spouse to be open and forthcoming. There are mechanisms to deal with that in the context of a collaborative divorce.
Contact the McNamara Law Office to Discuss Collaborative Law
To schedule an appointment to learn about the options and discuss whether collaborative law will work for you, please contact the McNamara Law Office today. Brian McNamara is trained in collaborative and a member of The Collaborative Law Institute Of Texas.
