Divorce & Legal Separation

Collaborative model of family law representation is a process that is designed to assist the parties in reaching a cooperative resolution of all the issues that are present in their divorce. In a Collaborative Divorce, each party will have his or her own attorney and he or she will work as a team to arrive at a workable resolution of his or her differences. Often it is necessary to include a parenting time/custody trained professional, financial expert or another adviser to arrive at an agreeable resolution. You will be formally divorced, but it will not involve a trial before a judge. Often this is more private than a traditional divorce can be a destructive process that can affect a couple and their ability to co-parent or maintain a working relationship after the divorce. While divorce is still a difficult process if you cannot agree on the terms of your divorce, it gives you the support of your own lawyer and focused negotiations. If your divorce involves questions of custody, the division of a business or other valuable property, such as retirements, or involves the question of long-term spousal support, it may save you thousands of dollars in legal fees in contrast to a full trial. Of course, if you fail to settle, you will need to resort to a contested traditional divorce. In contrast to the traditional divorce, the collaborative model is a method of resolving disagreements through structured negotiations.

In the Family Law area, mediation is the process where both of the parties meet with a neutral party to reach an agreement. As a mediator, Mrs. Watson would provide you both with a safe manner to discuss those issues that need to be resolved before you can reach a final divorce or modification agreement. As an attorney, she can give you both the legal parameters you need to understand to reach a workable agreement, and she can also prepare the legal documents necessary to finalize your family matter. As a mediator, she cannot represent either of you individually but she can assist you in reaching your final decisions.

Uncontested divorce is a method where the parties agree to all of the issues and aspects that must be addressed. This includes custody and parenting time of minor children, child support, spousal support, property division, payment of marital liabilities and payment of attorneys fees and costs. If you are able to reach a complete agreement of the issues, this is one of the simplest and less expensive methods to finalize your divorce.

“Pro se” is a Latin phrase meaning “for self”. This is where the party represents himself or herself in court rather than by a lawyer. However, you often have questions regarding the forms required in a divorce, how to calculate child support or create a parenting plan. Our attorney can offer advice and assistance in preparing forms, answering legal questions and preparing to present your case in court. This may be all you need, but if the divorce becomes completed, you can elect to hire one of our family attorneys to complete the process.