Divorce can be either uncontested or contested. If the parties can agree to the terms of their divorce, then this is both financially and emotionally beneficial to them. However, it may be difficult to sit down with your spouse and determine how you want to resolve the specifics in your situation. Primary factors you must resolve will include some or all of the following: -If you have children, then you will have custody, visitation and child support issues to resolve. -Distribution of marital assets and debts. (You may have questions as to what is marital and non-marital.) Spousal support/alimony which depends largely upon the length of your marriage and whether one spouse has a need for the support and the other has the ability to pay it. The Tampa divorce attorneys at All Family Law Group, P.A. can help you with your uncontested divorce for a flat fee if you and your spouse know the terms of your divorce. Contact us by email or call 813-708-1278 for an initial consultation at no charge at our office in Tampa or Riverview, Florida

1. Collaborative
Divorce
FAQ:

2. Q
A
without
having to go
to court.
It’s a means of
resolving your divorce
through negotiations,
without
having to go
to court.
What is collaborative
divorce?

3. Q
A team effort.
Collaborative divorce is a
team effort.
With collaborative divorce, both
parties and their attorneys commit to
working together, toward a mutually
beneficial resolution of the divorce. 
How is collaborative
divorce different from
mediation?

4. With mediation, the parties and their
attorneys take sides against each other,
with the mediator in the middle to help
negotiate disputes.
Put another way:
With collaborative divorce,
the goal is: What is best for
us? With mediation, the goal
is: What is best for me?

5. Q
A
Less
expensive.
2) Less
expensive.
Why choose
collaborative divorce?
1
Less contentious than a
contested divorce, whether
resolved through the court
system or by mediation.

6. 4) Allows for great
creativity
and flexibility
in resolving issues
and fashioning
a settlement
agreement
that works for
your family.
3Gives you and
your spouse
control over the
outcome of your
divorce, rather
than leaving
such important
decisions in the
hands of a judge.

7. Q
A Yes!Yes!Both you and your
spouse will need
to retain independent
counsel, specially
trained in
collaborative divorce.
Do I need my
own attorney?

8. Q
A The collaborative divorce process
begins with the signing of a
Participation Agreement. The
Participation Agreement formalizes
the goals and the ground rules of
the negotiations.
Common provisions include: 
What is a Participation
Agreement?

9. ✔
✔
fairly,
The goal of the collaborative process is to
negotiate a settlement that treats everyone
fairly,and not to litigate.
civility and courtesy.
All persons
involved in the negotiations
will treat each other with
civility and courtesy.

10. ✔
✔Neither party will attempt to
take advantage of mistakes
made by the other party or
by his or her attorney. 
share information
Both spouses agree to freely and voluntarily
share information
and documents, so that each can make
fully-informed decisions.

11. ✔The negotiations are
confidential;
The negotiations are
confidential;neither spouse will disclose, or attempt
to use in subsequent court proceedings,
anything that is said or done during the
collaborative divorce process. 

12. ✔The parties will seek the advice of
experts– e.g., accountants, tax and
financial advisers, and mental health
professionals – who will provide unbiased
advice, as needed. 

13. global
settlement,
The attorneys will exercise their best
efforts to negotiate and finalize a
global
settlement,and will not participate in litigation (court
proceedings) should the collaborative
process be unsuccessful.

14. Q
A You, your spouse, and your
attorneys will meet to discuss the
issues that need to be resolved and
the best way to do so to ensure that
everyone involved is treated fairly. 
How does the collaborative
process work?

15. Other members of the
collaborative divorce team
also may be present,
Other members of the
collaborative divorce team
also may be present,
including, for example, a financial adviser
or mental health professional. You should
expect to meet several times. When all
the issues are resolved, the attorneys
will draft an agreement for you and your
spouse to sign.

16. Q
A If you are unable to reach
an agreement through the
collaborative process,
you can still pursue your divorce
through the court system.
What happens if it
doesn’t work?

17. However,However,you and your spouse both will
have to retain new counsel.
Your collaborative divorce
attorneys will not represent
you in the litigation.

18. Q
AT
rying to fit an emotionally-charged
divorce into the confines of the
traditional civil court litigation
system can feel like trying to fit a square
peg into a round hole. Collaborative
divorce is an alternative to the traditional
approach. The hallmarks of collaborative
divorce are: 
Summary

19. A spirit of
cooperation
and teamwork
Open and honest
communication and sharing of
information and documents

20. FlexibilityFlexibilityin resolving issues and crafting a settlement
agreement that is fair to all parties.
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