Collaborative law aims for a kinder divorce; how's that working out?

It sounds like an ideal way to resolve a difficult situation — a healthy, sane method to divorce, with spouses and lawyers agreeing in advance to forgo threats and theatrics.

But where there are lawyers, there are lawsuits, and the Circuit Court of Cook County is now weighing one that puts a spotlight on collaborative divorce, a fast-track method of ending a marriage that proponents say reduces the costs and mudslinging of traditional cases.

Rather than painfully hashing out terms in open court, couples work with lawyers trained in the collaborative method, using neutral finance experts and life coaches to reach an agreement before presenting it to a judge in a neat little package. Failure to reach an agreement means the spouses will be required to hire new counsel, creating a financial incentive for both the couple and the attorneys to cooperate.

via Collaborative law aims for a kinder divorce; how's that working out? | Crain's Chicago Business.