Divorce in a courthouse setting isn’t for everyone. If you think about it, who really wants to be sitting in a courtroom? Who wants to witness attorneys in an open courtroom discuss their life? There are many disadvantages of the courtroom from an emotional standpoint. For many parties, the thought of all of this is too much. It leads to stress, anxiety, and angst.
If these were some of your concerns when faced with a divorce, a party may consider a collaborative divorce. In collaborative divorce, parties will meet outside of the courtroom with their selected collaborative attorneys and other professionals in an attempt to reach an amicable resolution.
The collaborative divorce process should not be confused with being a quick fix, inexpensive or easy process. If the parties had an easy time making decisions together, they probably wouldn’t be getting a divorce in the first place. But a benefit that does come with collaborative divorce is the privacy aspect versus potentially airing their life and/or dirty laundry in a courtroom.
Collaborative divorce, since it is in a private setting, can allow the stress, anxiety, and embarrassment to be minimized. The parties can then focus on what is best for themselves and their family in this hard time. Lastly, the parties would also have control over the outcome rather than putting the decision in the hands of a judge who doesn’t know them.
If the parties are able to reach a collaborative resolution, only one court appearance is generally required to conclude the divorce. However, this one appearance allows for much more privacy than the normal repeat visits in and out of the courthouse. In some jurisdictions, the parties might be able to conclude the divorce by affidavit without either party ever having to step foot in the courthouse.
Kirk Stange founded Stange Law Firm, PC in 2007 with wife Paola. Since the first location in 2007, Kirk has dedicated himself to flourishing the family law firm into what it is today. In addition to being a Founding Partner of the firm, Kirk also enjoys spending time educating attorneys and other law professionals at CLE Seminars through NBI, the Missouri Bar, and many other organizations. Additionally, Kirk serves as an adjunct professor in the role of a trial skills instructor. Kirk obtained his Juris Doctor from the University of Missouri – Columbia School of Law. Kirk is licensed to practice in the state of Missouri, Illinois, Kansas, and the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri. Notably, Kirk has been recognized for his hard work and dedication to the practice of family law. These awards range from: Super Lawyers for Missouri and Kansas Super Lawyers for Family Law Magazine, Top 10 Family Law Attorney in Missouri by National Academy of Family Law Attorneys, Lead Counsel Rated for Divorce/Family Law, and many more accolades. The Founding Partner has also been a published author on multiple different occasions. Kirk authored a chapter in a book through Thomson Reuters (Aspatore Publishing) in 2012 titled: Strategies for Military Family Law: Leading Lawyers on Navigating Family Law in the Armed Forces (Inside the Minds). Kirk published a full-length book through Thomson Reuters (Aspatore Publishing) in 2014 titled: Prenuptial Agreements Line by Line. Further, in 2015, Kirk authored another chapter in a book through Thomson Reuters (Aspatore Published) titled: Strategies for Illinois Family Law: Leading Lawyers on Leveraging Alternative Dispute Resolution, Negotiating Alimony and Child Support, and Managing Client Expectations (Inside the Minds). Note: The choice of a lawyer is an important decision and should not be based solely upon advertisements. Kirk Stange is responsible for the content. Principal place of business 120 South Central Ave, Suite 450, Clayton, MO 63105.
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