The collaborative divorce process is a less adversarial process than a traditional divorce. If you and your ex-spouse choose to engage in a collaborative path to divorce, you might wonder how to prepare for your meetings with your attorney and what, if anything, you should bring.
Before meeting with a collaborative law attorney, take a look at the following ways to prepare yourself.
1. Take inventory of your assets and debts.
As part of the collaborative process, you are in charge of splitting your assets on your own. Therefore, you need to know exactly where your marital assets are located and how much they are worth, as well as an updated valuation of your debts.
2. Discuss your goals with your ex-spouse
If you are on speaking terms with your ex and can have a mature conversation, make sure to sit down with him or her and talk about your goals for divorce. This may help you parse out which divorce goals you can meet immediately and which need further negotiation with your attorneys. You can also speak about paying down any marital debt before beginning divorce proceedings.
3. Think about hiring additional professionals.
In the collaborative divorce process, some people elect to hire professionals, in addition to the attorneys, to help with the terms of your divorce settlement. For example, financial planners, real estate brokers, or child psychologists may help make things more personalized to your family.
Overall, remember that just because you decided to enter a collaborative process, that does not mean that the divorce will be stress and frustration-free. By adequately preparing and communicating with your divorce attorney, you will get through this difficult time.
