Collaboration
The second type of procedure is a Collaborative Divorce.
In this process, each party is represented by their own attorney but the spouses and attorneys sign a contract which provides that neither party will litigate.
Essentially, the parties and their attorneys agree to meet and discuss and resolve the issues of the case without resorting to Court action.
This type of divorce process is for people that feel they need legal representation because of the complexity of the issues or the complexity of their assets and debts.
The spouses have control over the process by determining how many meetings are required, the issues to be discussed at each meeting, etc.
This process works well with spouses that are still on a "speaking basis" and can be in the same room with each other.
Obviously, if there was family violence or mental health issues, this process may not work.