Experts calculate that as many as 50% of all marriages end in divorce. It’s a chilling number when you consider that few life events are as traumatic as the end of a marriage.
But it doesn’t have to be that way.
One way to avoid such trauma is by working with the right divorce lawyer — one who offers alternatives to the more common, and often contentious, traditional divorce.
Pitler Law offers three approaches to divorce for people in Royal Oak and nearby municipalities. Each is approved in the state of Michigan, and each provides the closure both parties seek. And they all do so without the hurt and disappointment typical proceedings may generate.
In an uncontested divorce, the two parties agree to the divorce and have no disagreements about finances (such as division of property or spousal support) and child custody (if applicable).
An uncontested divorce is often as simple and straightforward a legal proceeding as possible given the circumstances.
Divorce mediation is an approach that, like the uncontested divorce, leverages both parties’ mutual desire for a relatively stress-free process.
A court-appointed mediator helps both sides agree on divorce-related issues such as finances and child custody. And the mediator is trained to do so without influencing any agreements in one direction or the other.
Ensuring that the mediator can help requires both spouses to have all of their “ducks in a row” concerning which assets they wish to retain, those with which they’re willing to part, etc.
It's well worth the effort, though, since mediation can avoid the unnecessary costs associated with contentious divorces.
In a collaborative divorce, both parties retain separate lawyers. The difference? These lawyers are trained in the collaborative law process, and all parties must sign a participation agreement acknowledging their desire for the collaborative divorce process.
In this process, each lawyer strives to negotiate the best outcome for his or her client without the combative approach that sometimes arises when both parties merely “look out for themselves.”
The collaborative divorce process also relies on the expertise of various professionals, including:
These additional parties participate in a series of meetings during which both sides strive to achieve agreement on a mutually acceptable outcome.
If the collaborative divorce process fails, neither attorney is allowed to represent his or her respective client for the divorce litigation that follows.
Even under the best circumstances, divorce is a challenging situation. Complicating it with tactics that antagonize the other party is not only emotionally exhausting for everyone involved but also financially devastating to the family.
Pitler Law empowers you to engage in a process that provides careful counsel and helps ensure an amicable result. Whether you’re in Royal Oak, Huntington Woods, Berkley, Clawson, or Hazel Park, we can help. Call Pitler Law today.
