It’s no secret that litigation is expensive, time consuming, and emotionally draining. Unfortunately, it is still the most common way to divorce in the United States. There are some promising numbers though as out-of-court settlement methods like pro se mediation, conventional mediation, and collaborative law are increasing in popularity.

Collaborative Law is a type of dispute resolution which is settled outside of the court system. While it is a newer method, it is growing in popularity for family law cases due to its processes which are known to save time and money. When used for divorce, the concept is in its name. The goal is to collaborate to reach an agreement where both spouses win, rather than fight through litigation where only one spouse wins. It is widely recognized as a respectful approach with long-lasting mutual benefit.

Collaborative divorce refers to the process of removing domestic disputes from a typical "fight and win" setting into a gentler, "troubleshoot and problem solve" setting. This process leans on mediation and negotiation in order to settle a divorce, rather than courtroom or litigation posturing.