Divorces are never fun, and it is often a stressful situation for everyone involved, starting from the spouses and going all the way to the children. But, they do not have to be nasty battles that leaves both you and your spouse emotionally drained. If possible, see if you and your partner can engage in what is called a “civil divorce”, also knows as a “collaborative divorce”.
A civil divorce follows collaborative laws. You and your partner will be represented by lawyers who will collaborate, and both you and your lawyers will decide and agree on matters outside the courtroom. You will be able to share information and come to agreements on important issues such as parenting schedules, new living arrangements, property and money arrangements, as well as the alimony and child custody.
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What is the process for a civil divorce?
In order to start a civil divorce, you and your partner, as well as your lawyers will need to sign an agreement that typically stated the following:
1. All parties involved will do their best to agree on specific things of the divorce so that the matter will not have to go to the courtroom
2. All parties will openly share their information and act morally
3. All parties will agree on ant experts that need to be hired to help finalize the divorce
After this piece of paper is signed, you and your spouse will need to identify all the property and financial assets that you have, as well as any debt that might have occurred during the marriage, in order to decide how it will be divided between you two. Also, you will have to prove what you are saying with the right documentation and you will be required to do the same for other issues that need to be resolved in a collaborative divorce process.
Your lawyers, you, and your partner will have to meet for joint sessions, which are also called four-way conferences to try to resolve any issues. When you have agreed and solved each issue, the attorneys can write legal documents and submit them to the court of law. After the court approves the documents, your divorce will be considered final.
Is a civil divorce really possible?
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Yes, it is. If you and your spouse, as well as the lawyers, are willing to compromise, work together, and do what is best for the problems to be resolved, you will most likely be able to reach a good conclusion. However, in some cases, the parties cannot agree on specific things. If that happens to you, you will need to hire a divorce lawyer, someone who is different from the collaborative lawyer you have, and take the case to court.
Keep in mind that civil divorce lawyers are easy to find. If you, for example, live in Singapore, you could just type in “divorce lawyer Singapore”, and you will be able to browse through a long list of lawyers available.
Conclusion
If you are not sure whether you should have a civil divorce or not, consider these things, you will be able to save time and money, as well as avoid the stress that is usually connected with a court battle. If you still cannot decide on it, consult your lawyer and see if she/he thinks you and your partner are capable of undertaking a civil divorce.
