If your attempts to terminate your marriage are continually collapsing into unresolved disagreements, even after mediation, seeking the collaborative law approach is a viable option worth exploring. Are you done with bitterness? Want to get your dissolution over with so you can move on to the next chapter of your life? Collaborative law can provide the solution you seek. With the help of a team of neutral professionals and an experienced collaborative law attorney, you and your spouse may create an agreement that finally works.

I am Bobbie O’Keefe, and I am a highly trained collaborative law attorney. I have helped clients in Ohio for over 25 years achieve their goals of dissolution rather than divorce. When differences of opinion continue creating strife, I can help you alleviate the conflict. Depending on your needs, collaboration may include:

• A parent coach (usually a mental health professional, psychologist, family counselor, child specialist or licensed social worker)
• A neutral financial professional such as a certified divorce financial analyst or CPA
• Licensed real estate appraisers
• Financial advisers

While this method can take more time due to coordination of schedules, it may help you resolve your matters quicker and less expensively than a contested divorce in court.

What Do We Need To Do To Qualify For Collaborative Divorce?

The objective of the collaborative process is to help the parties resolve all disputes peacefully and to feel safe and respected when doing so. All parties involved in a collaborative divorce need to commit to resolving their divorce matters by a negotiated settlement, rather than taking it to trial in family court. Both party’s attorneys agree beforehand not to file a contested divorce. If matters cannot be solved out of court, both attorneys and the team of professionals will need to withdraw from the case.

A commitment to the collaborative law process means committing to resolve all issues reasonably. There is a participation agreement that must be signed by all parties. All parties agree to create proposals to meet the basic needs of both spouses and the children and to compromise when necessary to settle all their divorce issues.

After meeting separately with their lawyers, the parties then meet as group with the neutral nonlawyer advisers to collaborate on contested matters. Issues such as property division, post-dissolution taxes, the possible sale of the marital home, retirement accounts, art collections, support and who the children will live with can all be addressed during those meetings.

Call My Office To Discuss Your Cost-Effective Options

My firm is actively involved in practicing and promoting the collaborative process for termination of marriages as well as resolving other family law disputes. I can help you gather a team to work cooperatively to help you get to your next chapter. Call O'Keefe Family Law LLC in Columbus at 614-633-4777 or reach out to my firm online.