How Will My Lawyer Work With My Ex’s Lawyer During a Collaborative Divorce in Atlanta?

Your divorce lawyer is supposed to act in your best interests, but a collaborative divorce lawyer in Atlanta is also supposed to work closely with your ex’s legal counsel. How can your lawyer fight for your rights while also “collaborating” with the other side? How exactly will these two sets of lawyers communicate and work together as you navigate your collaborative divorce?

Collaborative Lawyers Focus on “Win-Win” Scenarios

In order to understand how this process works, you might need to shift your own perspective on what a divorce really means. In the world of collaborative law, divorce is not a “battle” where you win, lose, or “score points.” Instead, divorce is a cooperative endeavor in which both sides try to achieve an outcome that makes everyone happy.

While making everyone happy might be an unrealistic goal, spouses and their respective lawyers can at least work toward an outcome in which no one walks away feeling like they “lost.”

If you view divorce in this way, you might feel less concerned about your lawyers “collaborating” with your ex’s lawyers. Their goal is not to undercut you or go behind your back, but rather to negotiate and keep everyone satisfied.

Your Collaborative Divorce Lawyers Will Join the Negotiations

Most of the communications between your lawyers and your ex’s legal team will occur during the actual negotiations. You and your ex will be present during these “four-way” meetings, and you’ll get to witness these communications in real time.

Both sets of lawyers might brainstorm potential ways to resolve tricky issues, like property division or alimony. They might also help spouses approach these issues in a more productive, cooperative manner, thereby minimizing bitterness and resentment. Often, both lawyers will help with basic organizational steps, perhaps by creating agendas and schedules for the joint negotiations.

Will the Two Sets of Lawyers Talk Privately With Each Other?

The two sets of lawyers may communicate privately, although they are likely to save the most important discussions for the actual negotiations. If they communicate privately, they are probably just discussing scheduling, agendas, and other basic topics.

If you’re not comfortable with these private discussions, you can ask to be included. For example, your lawyer could add you and your ex to email threads. That being said, sometimes it’s best to let lawyers speak privately with each other. This is because lawyers speak their own language of technical terms, and sometimes it makes sense to simply let them discuss certain issues in depth before explaining things in more detail later.

Can a Collaborative Divorce Lawyer in Atlanta Help Me?

A collaborative divorce lawyer in Atlanta can explain this process in more detail. Although it’s true that your collaborative divorce lawyer will need to work closely with your ex’s legal team, they’ll still fight for your best interests. To learn more about how this process works, consider speaking with Buckhead Family Law at your earliest convenience.

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