We can offer you a healthier divorce process for a happier future
Here at Wallace, Robinson and Morgan, we genuinely understand that the decision to separate is one of the hardest you will ever have to face. It’s the polar-opposite to the path you had planned and the emotions it provokes will vary, not only according to the reason for which the separation has come about, but also from person to person, day by day and hour by hour.
Whether the decision has been reached mutually and amicably or there is bad feeling between you and your ex-partner, initial thoughts often focus on the financial assets and ensuring you get as much as possible from your divorce.
BUT stop and think for a moment……
Do you really want to create unnecessary stress and anguish for yourself, not to mention the impact on any children you have and the wider family? If you have children, you’ll both want to be part of their important life events – graduations, weddings and birthday celebrations, preferably without the animosity and tension that can be brought about by divorce proceedings. Try and think rationally when considering your divorce and ascertain what a successful outcome might really look like for you in the long term.
Being mindful of your actions now will make life easier for everyone in the future.
The traditional divorce process almost encourages people to maximise personal gain, fuelling those negative feelings that are natural bi-products of the initial separation.
Luckily, there is another way…one that is fair for both parties, one that is dignified and enables you to avoid involving a judge where you inevitably lose control of the situation, and one that minimises the impact of divorce on you and your loved ones, both during the divorce process, and for the years to come. This alternative to the traditional divorce process is on based upon collaborative law.
How is Wallace, Robinson & Morgan different from other divorce lawyers?
The divorce service available to our clients is really rather unique. We are trained in both traditional and collaborative family law, enabling us to offer the choice of two routes:
1. The traditional divorce process
2. The Collaborative Law divorce process
Dipika and Kathryn are two of relatively few lawyers trained in both traditional and collaborative law. She is a friendly and approachable professional who has more than 20 years-experience and a great deal of empathy for your situation, giving you the best opportunity of achieving a divorce with an outcome that feels successful for you.
What is Collaborative Law?
Collaborative Law is a new approach to the resolution of family issues such as divorce, financial agreements and child contact arrangements. A settlement is reached in a non-confrontational manner and without the need for court involvement, based upon co-operation between parties and the assistance of collaboratively trained lawyers in face-to-face meetings.
At your first face to face meeting, your collaborative lawyers will make sure that you both understand that you are making a commitment to working out an agreement without going to court. You will all sign an agreement to this effect. The joint commitment that you are making is shown in the table below.
Divorce and separation
Financial negotiations, including Pensions on divorce.
Child arrangements
Pre-nuptial agreements
Cohabitation agreements and disputes
Civil partnerships
Rights of grandparents
Domestic abuse
Change of name deeds
Often the best and most amicable solutions are reached when a couple work them out together. Collaborative Law encourages couples to take a team like approach rather than working against each other. This helps to reduce the emotional cost to you both and any children involved.
Through a series of face to face meetings between the couple and their lawyers, parties verbally negotiate agreements sharing the common goals of seeking fair solutions. Assistance from other professionals such as accountants and financial advisers can be called upon where needed. Meetings are scheduled at times to suit and the agenda for each meeting is agreed by the couple involved. Collaborative Law’s high success rate is achieved through its demand for honesty and transparency and the removal of the threat of court proceedings.
The specialist lawyers in our team are collaboratively trained so can offer the benefits of this approach to our clients. For more information call 0121 705 7571 or watch the video below.
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We will work with
a focus on the future, fairness and the interests of any child involved as being our goals and our guides
good faith and integrity, seeking through transparency to ensure a future relationship that can be built on trust
a commitment to truth, being open and honest in the information we provide, volunteering relevant information even if it appears to be contrary to our interests to do so
respect and kindness, using first names (rather than “he” or “she”
patience and a desire to learn the other person’s perspectives and concerns
a focus on the underlying things that are important to us
a creative and constructive approach
commitment and energy to be properly prepared and to meet deadlines and to help the process reach its conclusion
the intention that all our needs for information, guidance and advice will be met through this process, rather than obtaining such support secretly from third party professionals who are not conversant with all our discussions
We will avoid
bad faith,
dwelling on the past; or
attaching solely to our own interests
denigrating the other person or putting at risk the future relationship
being unbalanced or less than honest in the way information is presented
criticism and sarcasm
interruptions (because we will get a chance to contribute and be heard in our turn)
taking positions, making threats or issuing ultimatums
failing to express our point of view, failing to speak up if things are not working or having the professionals take over resolving issues.
trying to process the substantive discussions outside the meetings, unless agreed by all involved and all then immediately brought up to date
relying on any such support without disclosing it to those involved in the collaborative process
making “I” statements (eg “it makes me [ ] when you [ ]”
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Solihull: 0121 705 7571
Dorridge: 01564 779393