Divorce is often associated with visions of courtroom battles and drawn-out financial disputes. However, Arizona spouses who wish to end their marriages don’t have to go that route. It’s possible to work collaboratively with lawyers to negotiate a divorce settlement that is acceptable to all parties and allows both spouses to walk away successfully from the marriage. This can be a particularly viable choice for divorcing couples with children as many parents want to protect their kids from the aftereffects of a contentious, high-conflict divorce.
By working together with a family law attorney and the other spouse, one could move from a strictly adversarial view of divorce to a more collaborative approach. Of course, this process can be challenging; divorce is not only a legal and financial decision but also a deeply emotional one. In addition, the decision to end the marriage often followed deeply hurtful events, from severe arguments to infidelity. While people who are divorcing may want to move on from the marriage as quickly as possible, they could benefit from reviewing their history. In particular, the history of the fights and arguments between the couple could be instructive. This may point to particularly sensitive areas of conflict and likely points of discord during the negotiations.
As a result, family law attorneys may take the lead on the negotiations on these issues while helping their clients to address their concerns in a new way. This can be particularly crucial when dealing with issues related to forming a parenting plan.
When spouses decide to divorce, they often still need to work together as co-parents in the future. A divorce attorney can help a client negotiate collaboratively to reach a fair settlement on a range of issues, including child custody and visitation, property division and spousal support.