Collaborative Divorce Attorneys in Lewisville, Texas
Alternatives to Litigation: Collaborative Law
At Neal, Ashmore & Killebrew, we work hard to find creative family law solutions that save our clients money, time and anguish. For some of our clients, this means handling their divorce outside of the traditional court process. If you and your spouse are interested in a less adversarial, collective approach to divorce, consider the collaborative law model.
Our attorneys are noted for their ability to navigate clients through the most difficult of family law matters in a caring manner. Collaborative lawyers William F. Neal or Barbara Evans each have more than 30 years of experience in family law. They counsel their clients to find creative solutions that work for them today and in the future.
Is the collaborative approach appropriate for you? To learn more, call Neal, Ashmore & Killebrew at 972-436-8000 or send us a confidential e-mail.
What Is Collaborative Divorce?
Through the collaborative law model, divorcing spouses work with a team of neutral professionals to civilly resolve the issues in their divorce. The team usually includes two attorneys, a mental health professional and a financial expert and may include appraisers, accountants, child specialists, therapists and others. All professionals work for the benefit of both parties.
Collaborative family law has many benefits, including:
- You control the results: In trial, a judge will weigh the evidence and make a decision based on his or her interpretation of the case. In collaborative law, you and your spouse have that decision-making power. The neutral professionals can help you understand the consequences and benefits to each decision that you make so that you can come to a fully informed agreement on all issues involved in the divorce.
- Open communication: Litigation is often adversarial. In collaborative divorce, parties maintain open communication and understand the other party's goals.
- Maintaining relationships: Divorce may not be the end of your relationship with your spouse. If children are involved, you will need to work with your spouse for years to come. Collaborative divorce helps divorcing spouses develop and maintain a civil, working relationship.
- Less formal: The collaborative law process is usually less formal and can be quicker than the traditional family court system, saving you time, energy and money.
Minimize Disruption in Your Children's Lives
Collaborative law may be especially useful if you have children and are seeking to minimize disruption to your children's family life as you transition from married to divorced, from one household to two. Collaborative divorce offers a way to shield your children from harmful litigation while letting their best interests guide your decisions.
What if Divorcing Spouses Can't Agree?
Not all clients are candidates for collaborative divorce. Our goal at all times is to protect your essential interests and see you through this time of change. At our law firm, we have the full range of family law attorneys: mediators, collaborative law divorce attorneys and fierce litigators. Whatever your divorce requires, we can help you.
If you choose to try collaborative divorce and things turn sour during the process, litigation is always an option. However, the collaborative law process includes an agreement that your attorney will help you and your spouse come to an agreement. Thus, your collaborative divorce lawyer will not be able to represent you in court. If this should happen, we can refer you to other family lawyers to litigate your case.
Trained in Collaborative Law and Experienced at Mediation
From our Lewisville office, Neal, Ashmore & Killebrew offers alternative dispute resolution (ADR), including mediation and collaborative law, as an option to clients facing divorce in the North Texas area, including Denton, Collin, Tarrant and Dallas counties. Call 972-436-8000 or contact us online.
