Washington Collaborative Divorce Lawyer In Lacey

Collaborative Divorce Lawyers Can Help You Negotiate a Fair Divorce Settlement

Justin W. Aanenson

The Lacey, Washington collaborative divorce lawyers at Truce Law can help you file for divorce without the need to go to court. If you don’t want to fight about your divorce agreement in court, collaborative divorce might be the answer. With collaborative divorce, you’ll resolve any differences that might arise at the negotiating table, rather than the courtroom. Best of all, your divorce paperwork, once finalized, can be filed electronically or by mail, eliminating the need to appear in court altogether.

Truce Law is a Lacey, Washington collaborative divorce lawyer versed in the art of divorce negotiation. The transition from married life and cohabitation to co-parenting brings about change, but it doesn’t need to bring about conflict. And, while splitting major assets like retirement accounts, the family home, and any other property or debts can sound like a stressful and potentially contentious process, the collaborative divorce lawyers in Lacey, Washington at Truce Law have a range of tools and negotiating solutions to help you and your former partner reach a fair settlement decision. If you want to finalize your divorce peacefully, quickly, and fairly, the Lacey, Washington collaborative divorce lawyers at Truce Law are here to help.

Traditional divorce methods can cost thousands of dollars more than collaborative divorce because couples end up preparing for a court battle. The reality is that many divorces still end up getting settled at the negotiating table. At Truce Law, a collaborative divorce law firm in Lacey, Washington, we save you thousands of dollars by choosing a proactive, collaborative method, that lets you start at the negotiating table.

Justin W. Aanenson, Attorney

Collaborative Divorce and Military Divorce in Lacey, Washington

Joint Base Lewis-McChord is the largest employer in Lacey, Washington. If you are filing for military divorce in Lacey, Washington, the collaborative divorce process might be right for you. Military divorces can raise unique challenges that may not be encountered in civilian divorces. Many of these issues can also be addressed through the collaborative divorce process. With military divorce, the added benefit of being able to file for divorce through the mail or electronically can be even more beneficial, especially if your partner is out-of-state or deployed.

For example, one of the biggest challenges military divorcing couples might face is the question of where to file for divorce and how to file for divorce if one partner is stationed overseas. These questions can become heated if one partner contests the divorce. But if both parties agree to file for divorce or can negotiate collaboratively to file for divorce, some of the issues that can arise with a military divorce can be avoided.

Here are some of the issues that can be avoided with a collaborative divorce:

  • Eliminating the risk of violating the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act of 2010 section 521 which dictates that if one party in a divorce case is stationed overseas, the divorce proceeding might be delayed if your deployed partner petitions to be present for the contested divorce court proceeding or refuses overseas service of divorce papers. If a default judgement is made, your partner has the right to petition to re-open the case when he or she returns from deployment. To avoid violation of this rule, many divorcing couples in a contested divorce end up having to wait until the deployed partner returns from overseas. With collaborative divorce, you and your partner won’t be filing for a contested divorce, giving you more options about when, where, and how you can file.
  • Reducing conflict about where to file. In a military divorce, a spouse might be located in one state, while his or her partner is deployed in another state or country. Both parties may consider a completely different state home. Both you and your former spouse can work with your collaborative divorce lawyer in Lacey, Washington to determine the state in which you can legally file (you may have options), and work collaboratively with you and your former partner to decide.

Military divorce is also subject to specific laws, most importantly, the Uniformed Services Former Spouse Protection Act for Divorced Spouses in the Military that governs a former spouse’s right to collect a military member’s retirement pay, access military medical benefits, and commissary benefits. These laws don’t govern how pay is divided or awarded, meaning that they can be negotiated. A collaborative divorce lawyer in Lacey, Washington at Truce Law can help you and your partner understand your rights and reach an agreement that is fair.

Collaborative Divorce vs. Contested Divorce in Lacey Washington

In many ways, the collaborative divorce process is like a “traditional” or contested divorce. Both you and your former partner each will be represented by your own divorce lawyer. The goal of the process is to reach a divorce agreement and create a parenting plan if you have children. As you can imagine, when couples divorce, there might be disagreements about everything from where the children will live to what will happen to the family home or other major assets. This is where you’ll see the biggest difference between collaborative divorce and contested divorce. With a contested divorce, both parties take these disagreements to court to let the judge decide (and often a judge sends the couple to mediation, where they end up back at the negotiating table). With a collaborative divorce, both parties agree ahead of time to sit down at the negotiating table from the start, and resolve their differences in private. If you choose to use the collaborative divorce process, both you and your former partner will agree to sign a “collaborative participation agreement” in which you both agree to settle major disagreements about your divorce agreement outside of court.

The collaborative divorce lawyers in Lacey, Washington at Truce Law have helped many couples settle their divorces peacefully and without the need for costly and time-consuming litigation. We work with our clients to create a negotiating environment that can create the best results, bringing a divorce team to the table to help you, when needed. Whether you need the advice of a parenting coach to help you iron out the finer details of your parenting plan, or a financial advisor to help you understand the financial implications of splitting retirement plans, Truce Law is a collaborative divorce law firm in Lacey, Washington that can help you and your former partner build a strong support team to help you reach the best divorce settlement possible. Best of all, it can still cost you less to take this route.

Risks of Taking Your Divorce to Court in Lacey, Washington

When divorcing couples take a case to court in Lacey, Washington, they run the risk that a judge will make decisions about their finances, their parenting plans, or their debts that neither party wanted. For example, a judge can order the sale of your home if you and your former spouse cannot agree about what to do with it. In the current economic climate, that could mean you may have to end up selling your home at a loss, or for significantly less than if you and your former spouse had been able to sit down at the collaborative divorce negotiating table with a financial advisor or mortgage loan officer to figure out options like refinancing, buying out your partner’s equity, shared ownership, or agreeing to sell when market conditions are more favorable. With the Lacey, Washington collaborative divorce lawyers at Truce Law on your side, we can bring in the expertise needed to help you and your former partner make sound financial decisions as you divide your assets and debts.

Collaborative Divorce and Your Parenting Plan in Lacey, Washington

Another aspect of your divorce settlement you don’t want to leave to a judge to decide is your parenting plan. Few judges want to make parenting decisions on behalf of divorcing couples. If you take disagreements to court for a judge to decide, it is likely that the judge will order mediation. While there are many great mediators, Washington state doesn’t require that mediators hold special licenses or certifications. A mediator might be a lawyer, or he or she may not be. If a judge orders a mediator, you’ll basically end up back at the negotiating table, but with the added cost of a mediator.

With collaborative divorce, you and your partner agree to negotiate from the beginning. You each still will hire your own attorneys, but rather than hiring a mediator (or being forced to hire one by a judge), you can either work out the agreement on your own, or bring in parenting coaches, counselors, or other licensed experts to help you figure out the finer details.

Research indicates that children do better emotionally and psychologically when their parents are at peace and in agreement. Even most expert judges agree that parents are the best people to make parenting decisions for their children. You know your children best. When couples dispute their parenting plans, judges might ultimately make decisions based on the best interests of the child standard. In Washington, this standard is very broad and very vague.

What is the best interest of the child standard in Lacey, Washington?

Under Washington law, the best interest of the child is defined as a parenting plan that preserves a child emotional growth, health, stability, and physical care. The goal is to maintain stability in the child’s life while also preserving the child’s relationship with both parents unless a relationship with one parent threatens the child’s mental, physical, or emotional health.

Making decisions about co-parenting can be one of the most challenging aspects of any divorce agreement. Ultimately, children do better when there is stability, consistency, and when they know what they can expect. The collaborative divorce process in Lacey, Washington, guided by Truce Law can help you and your former partner reach a divorce settlement and parenting plan that works.

Main Benefits of Choosing Collaborative Divorce in Lacey, Washington

If you choose divorce negotiation rather than litigation, you’ll enjoy several benefits. A collaborative divorce in Lacey, Washington can save you time, money, and protect your family privacy. Here’s how:

  • Privacy. Any dirty laundry you share in court can end up on the public record. Court proceedings are public forums. By choosing collaborative divorce in Lacey, Washington, you, and your former spouse agree to resolve your differences at the negotiating table, not the courtroom. This allows you to keep your disagreements private. If arguments get heated, the collaborative divorce lawyers in Lacey, Washington at Truce Law can call for a break where everyone can regain their composure. In a courtroom, you are on the judge’s timeline, not your own.
  • Save Money. Litigation can cost more than a non-contested divorce. Multiple court dates, unpredictably long trials, the risk that you’ll have to hire additional professionals like mediators, and the added costs of hiring a lawyer to represent you in court can add up quickly. With collaborative divorce you can control the costs more easily, by setting your own timelines for when you and your former spouse need to make final decisions, and by choosing which professionals you need and want to hire.
  • Save Time. When you take a case to court, the time it will take to finalize your divorce depends on the judge and when there is time to hear your dispute. If you finalize your divorce through the collaborative process, you’ll still need to submit all paperwork to the court to finalize your divorce, but you can do this electronically or by mail, eliminating the need to appear in court.

These are just some of the key benefits of choosing a collaborative divorce in Lacey, Washington with Truce Law. There are other, less tangible benefits, of course. These include peace of mind, less stress, and the fact that you and your former spouse are choosing a process that encourages understanding and compromise rather than argument and disagreement. The hope is that you’ll leave the collaborative divorce negotiating table if not friends, then as strong co-parents, or as two people who once shared life together who are now ready to move on to the next chapter.

The collaborative divorce lawyers in Lacey, Washington at Truce Law are here to help you achieve your goals, settle your divorce, and move on.

Reach Out to a Lacey, Washington Collaborative Divorce Lawyer Today

The Lacey, Washington collaborative divorce lawyers at Truce Law are here to help you every step of the way. Divorce can raise many stressful questions and concerns. With collaborative divorce, you can resolve these issues peacefully.