Transitions Divorce® Prep Workbook contains information on how to avoid costly pitfalls in divorce cases

Most families considering divorce do not realize that there are a variety of different divorce methods that have a large discrepancy in average cost per method. Most couples are only familiar with the Litigated Divorce Method , where each spouse hires a Divorce Attorney. According to the Atlanta Journal Constitution in 2013 the average litigated divorce case in Georgia took 18-24 months and cost a family $50,000 to $100,000++. In the Litigated Divorce Method an attorney representing each spouse pursues a divorce settlement judgment that is in the best interest of their own client through court proceedings and a trial. Multiple court appearances called “status conferences” are required as are multiple days of pre-trial depositions, then several days in court for the actual trial. This is an adversarial process that can have long-term devastating emotional and financial repercussions to the family.

There are in fact 3 other methods a family has to choose from. These methods can greatly decrease the level of conflict between spouses and have a far lower impact on the family checkbook.

The Pro Se’ Divorce Method , where spouses represent themselves in the process usually costs $500 to $800 and takes 30 to 60 days to complete. Most counties offer divorce form packages that can be purchased and downloaded from their county website for a nominal fee. The spouses complete the paperwork and file the documents themselves. This method is usually only recommended for couples who simply want to dissolve a short-term marriage and have not accumulated traditional marital assets, retirement accounts and marital debt. This method is NOT recommended for families with marital assets to divide and marital debts to resolve. Ethical Mediation Centers recognize that divorce IS a legal process and legal experts are instrumental in assisting families with interpreting state divorce law regarding fair distribution of marital assets, retirement accounts and debt. Division of marital retirement accounts and pensions can be tricky business and leave a family vulnerable to Federal IRS penalties and fines if not handled correctly according to law.

The Transitions Divorce® Method, offered exclusively by Transitions Resource, LLC Divorce Mediation Centers usually costs $2500 to $7000 and takes 2 to 4 months to complete. This method is a low conflict process where an impartial professional Accountant and Mediator work with the spouses to reach an efficient financial and custodial settlement on behalf of the best interest of the family as a whole and then 2 Attorneys (representing each spouse) prepare and file the necessary legal documents. This process allows the family to completely avoid the litigated divorce court process.

The Collaborative Divorce Method usually costs $25,000 to $40,000 and takes 6 to 9 months to complete. This method is a cooperative method where a team of 7 or 8 professionals (3 representing each spouse) and 1 or 2 representing the minor children work together to reach a fair and equitable financial and custodial settlement. Each Spouse’s team consists of a financial planner, professional counselor and attorney. Minor children also have a professional counselor that works with the 2 teams to help devise an appropriate parenting plan/custody agreement. In some cases an Attorney called a Guardian Ad-Litem can also serve on the minor children’s team to represent the legal interests of the children. This process may also include some required court appearances (“status conferences”) and several formal mediation sessions.

For more information on this topic please buy our new book Family Divorce 101 -A Guide to What Divorcing Families Should Know or our book for Therapists:   Family Divorce Therapy 101 -A Clinician’s Guide to Best Practices for Treating Families Pre/During/Post Divorce (Amazon)

For more divorce advice and cost saving tips please buy our book Transitions Divorce® Prep Workbook

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Disclaimer: This is my personal blog. The opinions I express here do not necessarily represent those of my organization, Transitions Resource, LLC. The information I provide is on an as-is basis. I make no representations as to accuracy, completeness, suitability, or validity of any information on this blog and will not be liable for any errors, omissions, or delays in this information or any losses, injuries, or damages arising from its use.

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