With the annual UofM vs. MSU football game coming up this weekend, it got me thinking about the concept of "teams" and how it relates to the differences between Collaborative Divorce and a traditional litigated divorce. A litigated divorce is kind of like this week's game: there are two teams that are against each other, and each team is trying to beat the other team. It works great for a competitive sporting event like Saturday's game. But isn't it a bit of an odd way to separate a family? Does it have to be my "team" against yours?
Fortunately, it doesn't. Collaborative Divorce takes a totally different approach. Instead of your "team" against mine, it's "our" team, working together as one team. Where the goal of a litigated divorce is to beat the other team, a Collaborative Divorce has one team working towards common goals: things like minimizing the negative impact on the children, having a fair process where everyone is heard, and ensuring that both people come out with financial stability. I think that use of the "team" concept works far better for a divorce than my "team" trying to beat yours, and years of experience doing both has borne that out.
So go ahead and root for your team to crush the other in this Saturday's football game. But if you are facing a divorce, remember that there is a different way for the "team" concept to be put into action. I would be happy to discuss it more with you. Call for a free consultation: (248) 457-4566.