That’s the best attitude to have – it’s expensive and stressful and most people do not need a judge to make a decision for them.
We can help you reach a family law settlement without court.
Collaborative law offers an opportunity for you and your former spouse to negotiate an agreement respectfully, away from the courts, taking into account the interests and needs of all family members including your children.
You both sign a contract and commit to not going to court. The Collaborative process can resolve your family law property settlement in as little as three months and costs significantly less than taking your family law matter to court.
It is also the process most likely to result in you and your former partner having an amicable co-parenting relationship moving forward.
Mediation is compulsory in family law parenting matters, and is virtually compulsory in property matters. Even if you do file in court, you will inevitably be required to do mediation by your judge after your first court date.
It therefore makes sense to mediate before you decide to file court proceedings, as it has an incredibly good success rate. I am a mediator and firmly believe that for those matters where Collaborative law is not appropriate, mediation offers the next best process. There are options for fixed fee mediation which can give you certainty about your costs.
Depending on what needs to be undertaken in terms of any valuations and disclosure of documents, a mediation can be arranged and held within about a three-month period.