Tarpon Springs Collaborative Attorneys

Collaborative vs. litigated divorce

Serving Pasco, Pinellas and Hillsborough Counties with law offices in Largo, Holiday & Palm Harbor

K. Dean Kantaras is Board Certified in Marital and Family Law by the Florida Bar

Our Tarpon Springs collaborative lawyers at the Law Offices of K. Dean Kantaras, P.A. can evaluate whether collaborative divorce is a viable option for couples.

Factors to consider when choosing the right approach to divorce

Today, the majority of couples who divorce settle matters outside of court. Litigation is expensive and other alternatives are far less costly, including collaborative divorce. A collaborative divorce study of 199 cases showed the median cost for collaborative divorce was $19,723 compared to full-scale litigation at a median cost of $77,746. Collaborative divorce is roughly one-fourth the cost of litigation.

Reasons that litigation is more expensive

Litigation involves court fees, attorney fees, and as a protracted process, it loses cost-effectiveness. Also by nature, litigation is adversarial, which means attorneys spend time investigating, deposing, and gathering information against the other party to present in court. In many cases, the divorce is a battle where each lawyer vies to take the opposing spouse for as much money as possible.

When collaborative divorce works best

Collaborative divorce works best when couples are able to sit down and have rational discussions about the issues they face. Each spouse must be able to put his or her hostility aside and focus on constructive solutions that benefit the whole family, which includes the other spouse and their children.

When both spouses are able to hold their own ground in a discussion, one does not intimidate the other, and neither party tries to dominate, the collaborative process works well.

However, when either spouse has alcohol or drug abuse problems or is prone to domestic violence, collaborative law is not usually an option.

Discussing your situation in detail with our Tarpon Springs collaborative attorneys is the best way to find out whether collaborative divorce is right for you. The more we know about your circumstances, the better we can advise you. Spouses with goals to make divorce an amicable transition that is cost-effective and minimally stressful are usually good candidates for collaborative divorce.

Contact our collaborative lawyers for assistance in Tarpon Springs

Whether you need a Tarpon Springs divorce lawyer or a collaborative attorney, contact the Law Offices of K. Dean Kantaras, P.A. to arrange a consultation.