When you go to court over an issue that affects you and your family, it’s important that you are protected and have a fair trial. For some families seeking divorce in the past, the courts weren’t always fair. That has changed for them with the new Illinois Collaborative Process Act, which became effective on the first day of 2018.
This new act was a way to help same-sex couples amicably resolve their family law issues outside litigation. This was a process already used for divorces, paternity, adoptions and civil unions, but now, it is an established, codified standard.
How important is collaborative law?
For individuals going through divorce, collaborative law is essential. With collaborative law, individuals have a chance to work through disputes without having to spend time in hearings or at trial in most cases. This means they work more on finding a resolution that both parties agree with rather than having a judge make bold decisions for the family in question.
With collaborative law, you follow a few rules. First, you need to agree to respect each party involved in the case as well as anyone assisting. Second, you must insulate children; when children are involved in disputes, it doesn’t do anything but harm them to argue in front of them. It may threaten your relationship with your child to do so.
You will also want to agree to come to a solution that is fair to both of you. Not everyone will always be 100 percent happy with the outcome, but a fair outcome is what should be expected. Collaborative law helps you save money and time during disputes; remember that you can work together to resolve your problems.