Collaborative Divorce

Experienced Family Law Attorneys

San Diego Collaborative Divorce Lawyers

Avoid the Stress & Expense of Divorce Litigation in San Diego, Rancho Santa Fe, Del Mar, La Jolla, & Carlsbad, CA

The idea of divorce commonly conjures up the image of spouses battling one another to gain the upper hand at trial before a judge. However, this adversarial notion of divorce is not necessarily a given and does not have to be the manner in which you resolve your differences. Many couples choose to avoid this stressful and costly route by opting for a more humane process that focuses on cooperation, constructive communication, and an agreement to avoid litigation.

At Hargreaves & Taylor LLP, we are delighted to offer the collaborative divorce process to clients who would prefer to settle their differences behind closed private doors. This can be done with the help of their respective attorneys and any other life professionals needed to make fully-informed decisions about property division, child custody and parenting plans, spousal support, child support, and any other key areas pertaining to the ending of their marriage. We have years of applying this effective divorce method to clients with remarkable success.

Reach out to Hargreaves & Taylor LLP to book a consultation with a San Diego collaborative divorce attorney today. Find out how we can walk you through the process. Call (619) 374-4442 or contact us online.

Collaborative Divorce

As the parties involved, you and your spouse control the collaborative divorce process. This keeps the decision-making power where it belongs: with you as the people who will be affected by the outcome. This is vastly different from a court process where the court and state-created formulas will ultimately decide what the divorce settlement and co-parenting arrangement will be.

In the collaborative divorce model, you as a couple jointly set the agenda for your divorce and determine the settlement that is best for your family. You retain full decision-making authority and control. 

Benefits of Collaborative Divorce

Collaborative divorce offers a more amicable and cost-effective approach to ending a marriage compared to traditional litigation. Our team of experienced collaborative divorce lawyers in San Diego, Rancho Santa Fe, Del Mar, La Jolla, and Carlsbad, CA can guide you through the process and help you achieve a fair and mutually beneficial resolution.

Benefits of collaborative divorce include:

  • Reduced stress and conflict
  • Control over the outcome
  • Privacy and confidentiality
  • Cost savings
  • Faster resolution

By choosing collaborative divorce, you can protect your family's well-being and maintain a respectful relationship with your ex-spouse, which is especially important when children are involved. Contact us today to learn more about how collaborative divorce can work for you.

How a Collaborative Divorce Works

In collaborative divorce, couples who have decided to end their marriage work with a team of professionals to avoid the arbitrary and uncertain outcomes of court litigation and to achieve a divorce settlement that best meets the specific needs of both parties and their children. Collaborative divorce focuses on settlement and addresses communication dynamics. It offers a healthier and more effective forum for the resolution of your divorce issues through constructive negotiation.

The goal of collaborative divorce is for you and your partner to define and implement the settlement that best meets the needs of your family while learning new skills for more effective communication, conflict resolution, and post-divorce co-parenting. To accomplish these goals, various independent professional disciplines are available to work together as a team to integrate the legal, emotional, and financial aspects of divorce. These include the collaborative divorce-trained attorneys for both sides, as well as other collaboratively-trained experts, such as financial, child, and family specialists, accountants, divorce coaches, and others. 

The collaborative team helps you as a couple achieve a divorce settlement that minimizes the negative economic, social, and emotional consequences that often undermine families in the traditional adversarial divorce process. By maintaining a primary focus on the needs of children and the welfare of the family overall, this approach helps you provide your children with the emotional support and healthy co-parenting they need.

Attorney Nancy Taylor on Collaborative Divorce:

“Having practiced family law for over 37 years here in San Diego, which included extensive litigation, converting my practice to primarily collaborative family law matters has been a welcome change and one which has shown to have incredibly positive results for its participants. I find the collaborative process to be the most civilized manner in which to pursue a divorce and one in which the parties have a fighting chance to learn to respectfully communicate with one another, even after the divorce is final. After experiencing the damaging effects litigation can have on a family, I have personally seen the overall positive results and benefits the collaborative practice can offer a family. I would not choose to practice family law any other way…”

Ready to learn more? Contact us to discuss your case.

Commonly Asked Questions

What are the benefits of collaborative divorce?

Collaborative divorce allows you and your spouse to have control over the process, leading to more personalized solutions. It also promotes healthier communication and minimizes the negative economic, social, and emotional consequences often associated with traditional adversarial divorce.

How does a collaborative divorce work?

In a collaborative divorce, couples work with a team of professionals to avoid the uncertain outcomes of court litigation and achieve a settlement that best meets their specific needs. This approach focuses on constructive negotiation and integrating the legal, emotional, and financial aspects of divorce.

Why choose collaborative divorce over litigation?

Collaborative divorce offers a more humane and cooperative approach, allowing couples to settle their differences behind closed doors with the help of their respective attorneys and other life professionals. This can lead to more respectful communication and a focus on the needs of the family.

Is collaborative divorce suitable for child custody and support issues?

Yes, collaborative divorce addresses child custody and support issues, providing a healthier forum for resolving these matters through constructive negotiation. The goal is to define and implement a settlement that best meets the needs of the family, including effective post-divorce co-parenting.

What sets collaborative divorce apart from traditional divorce proceedings?

Collaborative divorce allows couples to jointly set the agenda for their divorce and retain decision-making authority and control over the settlement. This is in contrast to traditional court processes where the court and state-created formulas ultimately decide the outcome.