While a cooperative divorce may sound like a contradiction in terms to some, it is actually legal terminology referring to a process by which divorcing parties attempt to end their marriage through the use of negotiation, mediation and any other professionals who may be of assistance. Cooperative family law mediation in Lafayette Louisiana is available to divorcing couples who want to mitigate the costs, time and emotional stress of a traditional adversarial divorce. If you are getting divorced and are seeking an alternative to Louisiana divorce court, it may be a good idea to look into how cooperative family law mediation in Lafayette Louisiana can help.
In a cooperative divorce, the divorcing couple enters into an agreement stating that they wish to avoid the court appearances, formal discovery, deadlines, statutes and rules of Louisiana divorce court. Since divorce litigation most often results in expensive legal fees and costs, many couples are opting for mediation to reach a marital settlement agreement without having to step foot in a courtroom. Additionally, there are certain inherent risks when one takes their divorce to court where a judge then has control over the future of your family life. It is totally possible that unintended consequences may arise, such as losing property or child custody by a court order.
In comparison, cooperative family law mediation focuses primarily on assisting the parties in their attempts to reach a settlement agreement together. By participating in the negotiation process in this way, the divorcing couple will be more likely to adhere to the agreement, since it was not imposed upon them. Cooperative family law mediation also tends to be less expensive, since the parties can hire one mediator and share the costs. Through mediation, divorcing couples are often able to resolve any disputed matters more quickly than if they had to wait on a court date.
