• How Collaborative
  • Divorce Helps

Going through divorce or separation can make you feel isolated and alone, unsure of where to turn for support and advice. Unlike conventional legal process, Collaborative Practice offers you a team of skilled and compassionate professionals. Each expert in their own fields, the team members help you manage the many aspects of divorce – the legal issues, the emotional turmoil, the concerns for your children and the financial and property questions. With such support you’ll feel more in control of the process itself, and better equipped to begin a new life afterwards.

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Divorce with no court
You Don’t Go To Court
During the collaborative process, you can voice your opinions, know that you will be heard and you get to agree to the final decisions, without going to court. You and your spouse control the process and make final decisions; versus litigation where a judge controls the process and makes the final decisions. This gives you the control of your life and what is best for you and your family.
Collaborative Divorce can be less expensive
Cost Effective
Collaborative divorce is typically more cost effective than going to court. In a collaborative divorce, the team model is financially efficient therefore costs are more manageable. In litigation costs are unpredictable and can escalate rapidly due to high emotions and lack of communication.
Divorce with less trama family
Divorce With Less Trauma
There is far less trauma involved in collaborative divorce because you are playing a more active role in the divorce process and have a team of professionals guiding you through the most traumatic parts of the divorce. You know that you worked together to make life easier for everyone. This is especially important if children are involved.
  • WHAT is
  • Collaborative Divorce

Collaborative Divorce is a comparatively new way for married couples to resolve disputes respectfully, without going to court -- while working with trained professionals who are important to all areas of life affecting the divorce.

The heart of Collaborative Divorce (also called “no-court divorce,” “divorce with dignity,” “peaceful divorce”) is to offer individuals the ...

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  • Child Custody in
  • Virginia

Child custody (time sharing) is often the most contentious issue between parents who are separating or divorcing. The family law courts throughout Virginia are directed by state law to apply the principle of the Best Interests of the Children in determining an arrangement for child custody and visitation. This is true both in a contested divorce and in an uncontested divorce, as the court will not finalize the action until it is clear that the children will be left in an arrangement that provides for their well-being.

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  • Child Visitation
  • Virginia

When parents divorce, the family law courts in Virginia prefer to rule in favor of a parenting plan that you create which enables both parents to spend as much time as possible with the children. Provided that neither parent has a history of domestic violence, child abuse or chemical substance addiction (a condition that would make it unsafe for the children to spend time with that parent), the courts will always seek an arrangement that allows both you and your spouse to continue to play substantial roles in your children’s lives.

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  • Importance of
  • Co-Parenting Coaches

In the United States, co-parenting is used to describe situations in which two parents who are separated, divorced or no longer in a romantic relationship with one another share the rights and responsibilities of raising a child. In most co-parenting situations, divorced, separated, or unmarried parents wish to share the responsibility of rearing the children, including decisions pertaining to such important issues as time sharing (visitation), education, religious upbringing and medical care.

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  • Separation
  • Agreements

A separation agreement is a legal document that will contain the decisions you and your spouse have made in the Collaborative Process that resolve the various legal and financial issues of a separation and divorce. Although the Commonwealth of Virginia requires a separation period of either six or twelve months, (depending upon whether or not you have children) Virginia attorneys can help you begin to address such issues as soon as the decision to separate has been made, or at any point that you and your spouse are ready to begin this process.

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  • Unmarried Partners
  • In Virginia

You do not have to be married for help with resolving the issues involved in ending your relationship. We understand that unmarried couples and partners living together face many of the same problems as a divorcing couple. We want you to benefit from the services we provide.

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  • Child
  • Support

If you are a parent of a minor child or minor children, child support is another critical issue that will have to be determined in the Collaborative Process. If you decide that it is best for the children to live primarily with one parent that parent will usually be the recipient of child support from the other parent.

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  • Spousal
  • Support

When partners separate, spousal support is an important issue that must be addressed within the Collaborative Process. If one spouse has been financially dependent upon the other during the marriage, or if there is a significant disparity in income earned by husband and wife, such complex and emotionally charged issues are best suited for the Collaborative Process. In other cases, it is entirely appropriate that husband and wife decide there will be no spousal support. Regardless of your situation, however it is always best for you and your spouse to stay in control of such decisions as opposed to having a judge decide what is best for you.

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  • Prenuptial
  • Agreements

When handled collaboratively, prenuptial agreements become an opportunity to engage a couple in educating and planning for their upcoming marriage. Financial and property issues are generally on the agenda, but other crucial issues are routinely addressed: creating a family, plans for children and the roles of each partner in child rearing; allocation of labor and resources during the marriage; what will be joint endeavors and joint property; what will be separate endeavors and separate property; what resources will be applied to debts; what are the hopes or expectations about savings, investments and retirement? By exploring individual and shared views on these and other issues in advance with prenuptial agreements, a couple can plan for how their partnership will operate on some very practical levels

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Collaborative Divorce is a comparatively new way for married couples to resolve disputes respectfully, without going to court -- while working with trained professionals who are important to all areas of life affecting the divorce.

The heart of Collaborative Divorce (also called “no-court divorce,” “divorce with dignity,” “peaceful divorce”) is to offer individuals the ...

Read More

Child custody (time sharing) is often the most contentious issue between parents who are separating or divorcing. The family law courts throughout Virginia are directed by state law to apply the principle of the Best Interests of the Children in determining an arrangement for child custody and visitation. This is true both in a contested divorce and in an uncontested divorce, as the court will not finalize the action until it is clear that the children will be left in an arrangement that provides for their well-being.

Read More

When parents divorce, the family law courts in Virginia prefer to rule in favor of a parenting plan that you create which enables both parents to spend as much time as possible with the children. Provided that neither parent has a history of domestic violence, child abuse or chemical substance addiction (a condition that would make it unsafe for the children to spend time with that parent), the courts will always seek an arrangement that allows both you and your spouse to continue to play substantial roles in your children’s lives.

Read More

In the United States, co-parenting is used to describe situations in which two parents who are separated, divorced or no longer in a romantic relationship with one another share the rights and responsibilities of raising a child. In most co-parenting situations, divorced, separated, or unmarried parents wish to share the responsibility of rearing the children, including decisions pertaining to such important issues as time sharing (visitation), education, religious upbringing and medical care.

Read More

In a marriage, all property that is not specifically mentioned in a marital agreement is considered marital property. In the event of a divorce, death or separation, marital property is distributed as seen fit by a divorce court judge. In order to avoid confusing and sometimes frustrating marital property distributions and judgments, couples can opt to make pre-planned marital agreements. In these agreements, property such as money and real estate are addressed and distribution is agreed upon by both parties. There are three kinds of marital agreements that most couples are eligible for and that our team of Virginia Collaborative Divorce professionals can draft and file for you.

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You do not have to be married to come to the Virginia collaborative divorce lawyers at Collaborative Divorce Center of Coastal Virginia for help with resolving the issues involved in ending your relationship. We understand that unmarried couples and partners living together face many of the same problems as those that confront a divorcing couple. We want you to benefit from the services we provide.

Read More

If you are a parent of a minor child or minor children, child support is another critical issue that will have to be determined in the Collaborative Process. If you decide that it is best for the children to live primarily with one parent that parent will usually be the recipient of child support from the other parent.

Read More

When partners separate, spousal support is an important issue that must be addressed within the Collaborative Process. If one spouse has been financially dependent upon the other during the marriage, or if there is a significant disparity in income earned by husband and wife, such complex and emotionally charged issues are best suited for the Collaborative Process. In other cases, it is entirely appropriate that husband and wife decide there will be no spousal support. Regardless of your situation, however it is always best for you and your spouse to stay in control of such decisions as opposed to having a judge decide what is best for you.

Read More

Contact a collaborative Professional

Virginia Collaborative Professionals (VaCP) is a non-profit association of attorneys, mental health, and financial professionals organized into geographic practice groups within the state of Virginia. We are dedicated to resolving family and civil matters without litigation. Using the Collaborative Process, VaCP interdisciplinary teams offer the support, protection and legal guidance necessary to handle disputes within an atmosphere of mutual respect.

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