Norristown Family Lawyer Practices Collaborative Process
Norristown family lawyer, Kate Vetrano, is trained in the collaborative law process used to settle divorces out of court. Vetrano stands by the mission statement of the firm of Vetrano|Vetrano & Feinman LLC that “divorce happens, but hostility is optional.” Vetrano assists clients who wish to settle out of court if possible, and the collaborative process provides an alternative to litigation for clients. The collaborative process is founded on open communication between clients, their lawyers, and third party experts who have spouses’ best interest in mind. Many have looked to the Norristown family lawyer to perform the collaborative law process for them, and Vetrano can aid couples who are considering the method when determining how to proceed with a divorce.
The collaborative process is an alternative to litigation in court and is a recourse taken for parties who wish to settle their divorce out of court or who believe they can expedite the process through collaboration. While using the collaborative process, spouses usually schedule the meetings up front and are able to work according to their own schedules rather than a schedule dictated by the court. The Norristown family lawyer employs the collaborative process for clients with or without children, and spouses can use this opportunity to learn how to communicate after their divorce and utilize the outside help of experts to discuss child custody and visitation, child support, alimony or spousal support, marital asset division, and post-divorce modifications to the settlement. To use the collaborative process, each spouse must hire a separate lawyer that is specially trained in the collaborative process. Unlike in mediation, each lawyer gives professional advice to his or her client.
Aside from the Norristown family lawyer and clients, the collaborative family law process can include other professionals such as custody evaluators, psychologists, financial planners, real estate appraisers, business valuation specialists, and others that have relevant information to the case that can help the spouses choose the best options for themselves and/or their children in the divorce settlement. As its name implies, the collaborative process focuses on a team approach to settling the divorce, which differentiates it from arbitration or mediation. During arbitration, the spouses will sometimes focus on a single aspect of the divorce, and the arbitrator does not represent or give advice to either client, but acts as a neutral judge to settle the issue.
If the clients cannot agree on a certain aspect of the divorce or if one spouse decides to terminate the collaborative process, the lawyers must resign from the case and the spouses must hire different lawyers. The lawyers and divorcing spouses will have signed agreements prior to the start of the collaboration process concerning the rules of engagement. This agreement protects the client by ensuring that the lawyers would not encourage them to go to court unnecessarily.
The Norristown family lawyer at Vetrano|Vetrano & Feinman LLC is well trained and experience in practicing the collaborative process to help spouses settle divorces quickly and amicably. To learn more from the Norristown family lawyer, contact Vetrano|Vetrano & Feinman LLC at (610) 265-4441 or email katevetrano@vetranolaw.com.
