Choosing the collaborative approach to your divorce can help you seek a faster, more cost-effective legal process to end your marriage. People also typically find that by collaborating on the various divorce-related matters, they can remain more amicable and avoid court.
That said, there are some mistakes people make during a collaborative divorce in Wisconsin. Such missteps can jeopardize these and other outcomes.
Mistakes to avoid
- Provoking your ex on social media
- Refusing to negotiate during sessions
- Having unreasonable demands
- Lying in financial documents
- Falsely accusing your ex of abuse, violence, or marital misconduct
- Making threats or trying to intimidate your ex
- Failing to comply with temporary support or custody orders
- Making decisions purely out of spite or other emotions to try and hurt your ex
These actions or behaviors can compromise the process by destroying any goodwill the parties may have and making it impossible to find solutions.
When collaboration is not successful, parties will pursue other avenues to resolve their issues. This could mean mediation or it could mean litigation. This can extend the process and make it more complicated, so it is crucial that parties recognize the importance of committing to the collaborative process.
Determining if collaboration is right for your case
When successful, the collaborative approach can allow parties to end a marriage more peacefully. However, it is not an appropriate or feasible solution for everyone. If you cannot commit to the process and to avoiding the above-mentioned mistakes, for instance, you might want to explore other options. If there are legitimate concerns of violence of abuse, collaboration make not work, either.
To understand more about collaborative divorce and whether it might work for your case, you can talk to an attorney about the various approaches available. Having this information on your legal options can make it easier for you to make informed decisions that allow you to pursue the desired outcome.