Collaborative Divorce Attorney
in Syracuse, New York

Most litigated cases are settled in the worst possible way.  With litigation, you must spend a lot of money preparing for trial.  The trial is often where both spouses attempt to prove that they are good and their spouse is bad, making it difficult to co-parent in the future.  Almost no time is devoted to the settlement of important issues. You, and your hopes and fears, will get short shrift.  Your children will get their own lawyer who will discuss the divorce with them and perhaps ask where the children want to live. A collaborative divorce can help avoid these issues, and at Giardina Family Law and Mediation, we are prepared to guide you through the process.

What Is Collaborative Divorce?

Collaborative divorce uses lawyers, financial experts, and mental health professionals who have been trained in collaborative practice.  You and your spouse consult and retain trained lawyers, and then you build the rest of your team.  The team gathers information, your experts provide input, and the group brainstorms options.  The goal is to create a separation agreement.  You may get divorced right away or wait until you are ready.  

Benefits of Getting a Collaborative Divorce

Collaborative divorce offers structure and a supportive team to help you navigate and resolve the issues in your divorce.  You might need the support of collaboration if you find it challenging to speak to your spouse or advocate for yourself and your needs.  

One of the secrets to the success of collaborative divorce is the participation agreement which contains a disqualification clause.  The disqualification clause is a commitment that your experts and lawyers will not go to court with you if the collaboration fails.  Everyone on your team shares your goal of crafting an agreement that you can live with now and in the future.  The disqualification clause assures that the collaborative team is a safe place to resolve your issues.  

Collaboration avoids the nightmare of litigation.  An estimated 95% of couples can be successful using Collaborative divorce.  Advantages of Collaboration include privacy, control over the speed of the process, and freedom to include matters that are important to you, not only matters that the court allows.  As you restructure your family, you can gain practice in new ways to communicate.  Divorce is hard.  Collaboration doesn’t cause further damage to the family and can help everyone in the family begin the next phase of life.

Collaborative Divorce Attorney in Syracuse, New York

We are devoted to the collaborative model and continually attend workshops to hone our collaborative skills. If you're in Syracuse, New York, or in the surrounding areas including Auburn, Cortland, Cazenovia, or Oswego, contact us today.