In a collaborative divorce, the goal is to cooperate with your partner. This means that you need to negotiate in good faith. The two of you may already see eye to eye on certain issues, but negotiations will be required to find a resolution to other issues. A collaborative divorce keeps your case out of court.
One key to this process, however, is your ability to communicate. You need to be honest and truthful, and you need to be willing to have hard conversations. It is often best to stick to the facts and not let things grow into an argument. Even if the two of you disagree, your focus should always be on finding a solution.
Financial issues
For example, you may need to determine how you are going to divide debt or assets that you own. Appropriate communication involves being truthful about both your earnings and liabilities, and making accurate disclosures. Only when both parties provide the necessary information can a resolution be found.
Child custody issues
Similarly, communication is important when determining how you are going to divide child custody. You will need to talk about what you can both realistically take on and what your schedules will look like. You will need to discuss what the children want or how you can address their needs in the future. Ultimately, your focus should be on having discussions that put the children’s best interests first and finding the best possible solution for them.
The specifics of any divorce are going to be unique, both in terms of financial information and child custody issues. But in both cases, communication is critical in a collaborative divorce, and couples need to know what legal options they have.