Interdisciplinary collaborative law is an approach to resolving domestic relations problems through cooperative means rather than adversarial procedures and litigation. In collaborative divorce, parties negotiate a settlement agreement before any pleadings are filed in the family court. Parties are expected to act in good faith and disclose completely financial information and any other information necessary to a fair and equitable resolution. In a collaborative divorce, each party is as concerned about the best interests of the other party as he or she with one's own best interests and neither party seeks to gain an advantage over the other party. The assistance of professional mental health providersis available to help famiy members, especially children, cope with the stress of divorce.
The primary advantages of a collaborative divorce include 1) the parties control over the pace of the process, 2) the parties are not subject to court procedural rules, the 365-day rule, or the rules of evidence, and 3) the process has the potential for costing less than a traditional, litigated case. A collaborative divorce differs from mediation in that there is no third-party neutral who meets with the parties to negotiate an agreement. In a collaborative divorce, the parties and their attorneys meet as often and as many times as are necessary to work together to craft a settlement.
Dr. Whiting is certified by the International Academy of Collaborative Professionals to provide interdisciplinary collaborative divorce and child custody legal services. Dr. Whiting also is a member of the South Carolina Collaborative Divorce Group, LLC, along with Barb Saylor, CFP, CDFA and Lisa Holland, PhD.
|