This increasingly popular divorce strategy can save money and tears
A collaborative divorce typically costs between $20,000 and $60,000 and takes from two to six months. That compares to a fully litigated action costing between $50,000 and $150,000 and 18 months to about 2½ years to get to court.
The divorce of Jane Needham and Joe Darling was fast, low cost and protected their three children as the painful financial and emotional differences involved in crafting a settlement were resolved.
Needham – a lawyer who specialises in succession planning – says she wanted to keep the matter out of court, where adversarial and confrontational processes can inflame long-simmering tensions.
