Traditional Litigation Model

  • Both parties rely on the court system and the judge or judges to resolve their family disputes.
  • Often you come to view each other as adversaries and the courthouse as the battle ground.
  • The conflict takes an immense toll on emotions, finances and the well-being of your family.

Mediation

  • This is an alternative dispute resource often used within the litigation framework.
  • While it can be very effective, it still employs the adversarial process.
  • It does not have the transparency of the collaborative process.
  • It does not use the team approach.

Collaborative Law Process

  • This is a non-adversarial approach.
  • The focus is not on who is to blame, but on how to solve your family’s issues.
  • You and your spouse work together with your respective lawyers and the professional team to achieve a mutual settlement outside the courthouse.
  • The Collaborative Law Process eases the emotional and financial strains of the family.

(source: The Collaborative Family Law Group of Central Florida | www.cfl-cfl.com)