The pain-free way to part?

Collaborative divorce, a way of ending a marriage that claims to be both swift and amicable, is gaining popularity here in the UK after starting 20 years ago in the US. 

For around 136,000 couples a year divorce becomes a new reality; but many endure an acrimonious and potentially traumatic battle in court. Collaborative law, though, offers a less stressful and far less adversarial process that guarantees financial and children’s issues will not end up in court.

With a collaborative divorce each person instructs their own lawyer. Instead of negotiations being carried out by letter or phone, and ultimately in court, couples and their lawyers work things out face to face, with the aim of resolving the dispute without going to court.

As well as lawyers, meetings can involve other relevant experts – such as an accountant, life coach or children’s counsellor – to help things reach the best and most amicable conclusion.

In Yorkshire, Jones Myers is proud to be one of the firms helping to drive forward this more amicable way for couples to separate. Fiona Kendall is one of our four collaborative law experts, with a wealth of experience in representing clients in the collaborative process. Read an interview with Fiona and an insightful first-hand account of the collaborative divorce process and how it minimised the stress of divorce from Jackie and Murray Raw, in the Yorkshire Evening Post.