Your Pittsburgh Collaborative Divorce Attorney Team

Certified Collaborative Law Professionals

If both parties want to avoid the courtroom and are willing to maintain open communication, a collaborative divorce is a way to work through the details of separation in a private, amicable and often more cost-effective manner.

Pollock Begg boasts eight collaborative divorce attorneys with specialized training in the collaborative process. These members of the Collaborative Law Association of Southwestern Pennsylvania can help you resolve your divorce respectfully and prepare you and your family for the future.

Keep reading for answers to some of the most common questions about collaborative divorce or visit our attorney bios to learn more about our certified collaborative divorce attorneys.

• Candice L. Komar
• Heather Trostle Smith
• Stephanie L. Jablon
• Brian C. Vertz
• Ashley M. Majorsky
• Elisabeth W. Molnar
• Joseph R. Williams
• Lindsay A. Siters
• Meghan L. Zupancic

Is Collaborative Divorce Right for Me?

A collaborative divorce is a mutually respectful process between both parties and their attorneys. Meetings will be four people and up to six if collaborative neutrals are used, who can often have a positive impact on the family as a whole. Neither the size of the estate nor the level of conflict between the parties are barriers to using a collaborative law approach. Complex estates and high net worth families frequently opt for a collaborative divorce due to the privacy of the action.

Our Pittsburgh collaborative divorce attorneys have been trained to diffuse conflict and create a comfortable and communicative environment for all parties in the divorce. We work to honor the needs of both parties and their children while fully advocating for our client’s position. Collaborative divorces can often be more open to creative solutions that benefit both of the divorcing parties and any children involved.

How Is Collaborative Divorce Different than Divorce Litigation?

Collaborative divorce is a dispute resolution process in which trained professionals guide participants through a solutions negotiation process based on that person’s interest. These meetings, which happen in negotiations outside of the courtroom, help to maintain a mutually respectful process particularly when children are involved and a restructured family unit is necessary. Overall, it is designed to preserve the relationships in a way that is beneficial to the children and both spouse’s individual quality of life. The goal of the collaborative divorce process is to reach an overall settlement which keeps both parties interests in mind. This settlement is then embodied in an agreement without necessitating the need to go to court. The agreement becomes the marriage settlement agreement and is the final enforceable contract.

What Do Collaborative Negotiations Look Like?

In a collaborative divorce, both parties attend a series of meetings represented by your respective attorneys and neutral professionals such as a coach who is a mental health therapist and a financial representative who will guide you through the elements of the divorce process —including custody, support and the division of property. Frequently, the parties also engage the assistance of specialized experts such as tax accountants, financial planners, parenting coaches, therapists and child specialists. These experts are jointly retained by the parties to provide information to aid in the decision-making process. The parties often alternate which law firm’s offices they meet, with each attorney working to create an atmosphere in which both parties can feel at ease.

Why Do People Choose a Collaborative Divorce?

A collaborative divorce can be faster and less expensive than a courtroom divorce, and it is completely private except for the filing of the divorce complaint and decree. The process can happen as quickly as four months.

Every aspect of a collaborative divorce is focused on fairness, respect, your family’s well-being and creating a strong future. In a collaborative divorce, parties are able to arrive at a mutually acceptable settlement without letting the courts decide the issues. Perhaps one of the most important reasons people choose collaborative divorce instead of traditional divorce litigation is because of the sense of respect and open communication it fosters, which makes for a healthier family after the divorce.

Call our office today at 412.471.9000 to find an experienced Pittsburgh collaborative divorce attorney who can help you reach an amicable solution while protecting your family and your future.