Chapter 5:
What’s the Fastest Way to Get a Divorce?
Collaborative Team Practice Collaborative Team Practice (CTP) is an innovative new way of resolving separation and divorce issues without going to court.
In CTP, a team of professionals works with you and your spouse to find the best possible outcome for your entire family while allowing you to stay in control of the process and the outcome. It’s private, cost-effective, efficient and dignified. And it provides long-lasting solutions.
Here is how CTP Works:
- In a CTP negotiation, both parties’ lawyers facilitate constructive communication. They provide legal advice outlining the range of outcomes at court and ensure a legally binding agreement is produced.
- Before negotiations begin, both parties and their lawyers must sign a “Participation Agreement” that commits them to reaching a settlement without going to court. The agreement also requires both parties to provide full and honest disclosure of all financial and relevant information.
- If you or your spouse decides to withdraw or one of the professionals discovers withheld information, the case is terminated. No other lawyer from the same firm can represent the client. This provides a very strong incentive for both parties to negotiate in good faith.
- Each party works with a Family Coach to work through the emotional journey of separation and to develop communication and post-separation strategies. The Family Coach will also help develop a parenting plan.
- A Financial Specialist is jointly retained to assist the parties in collecting relevant financial information and to explore settlement options.
- At first, this process may sound more expensive. In reality, it is much more cost-effective than the court process or negotiations between two lawyers. Why? When working through financial issues, you will be sharing the cost of one Financial Specialist rather than each paying for your own lawyers to do the same work. Likewise, you will share the cost of the Family Coach instead of both retaining experts. The Family Coach will help you keep the emotional issues from sabotaging or prolonging the negotiations, saving you hundreds or even thousands of dollars in legal fees.
- If you get stuck in the negotiations, you can resolve the issue by arbitration and continue with the negotiation process. Your team will help you overcome impasse.
CTP just makes sense. You get the help you need rather than spending your time, money and energy on fighting. In other words, you are getting a team of experts working to find the best solution for the whole family rather than each of you assembling a band of warriors focused on waging war against your spouse.
In addition to saving you money, CTP will result in a better settlement: a win-win solution.
As a result, you and your spouse may be able to preserve your relationship with one another, creating a healthier emotional environment for everyone’s sake. Hard to believe, but it’s true.
At Galbraith Family Law, we feel the Collaborative Process is an excellent way of resolving issues between separating couples. We believe it is a much better alternative to court and strongly encourage you to consider using this option. Please don't hesitate to ask any of the lawyers at Galbraith Family Law about the process and how it can help you.
