Washington Collaborative Divorce Lawyer in Redmond

Collaborative Divorce Lawyer Skilled in Conflict Resolution and Peaceful Divorce

The Redmond, Washington collaborative divorce lawyer at Truce Law can help you file for divorce without ever having to set foot in a courtroom. The collaborative divorce process gives divorcing couples the opportunity to settle their disagreements at the negotiating table rather than in the courtroom, potentially saving time, money, and stress. To file for divorce, couples need to make decisions about how to divide assets, debts, and property. If they have children, they’ll need to make custody and parenting time decisions and formalize these decisions in a parenting plan. With the collaborative divorce process, you and your former partner sit down at the negotiating table and work with your collaborative divorce lawyer and your collaborative team (sometimes financial advisors, parenting coaches, or other counselors) to help you make the best decisions for your finances and your children.

With the traditional divorce process your lawyer will prepare for court even though most divorces get settled outside court. The reality is that when most couples take their case to court, there is a high likelihood that the couple will be sent to mediation. Judges rarely want to make tough decisions about custody or personal finances. The collaborative divorce process begins where these couples end up.

Truce Law is a collaborative divorce law firm in Redmond, Washington that can help you. Our collaborative divorce lawyers in Redmond, Washington have the negotiation skills to help you and your former spouse navigate some of the most challenging issues that can arise during divorce. We have the conflict-resolution and legal tools to help you and your former spouse peacefully resolve your differences and negotiate a divorce agreement that works for you. Contact the collaborative divorce lawyers in Redmond, Washington at Truce Law to learn more about how the collaborative process can work for you and your family.

Justin W. Aanenson, Attorney

The Collaborative Divorce Process in Redmond, Washington

To begin the collaborative divorce process, both you and your former partner will sign a “collaborative participation agreement” in which you both agree to not take your case to court. In many ways, a collaborative divorce in Redmond, Washington will be like a traditional divorce. Both you and your partner will each hire your own collaborative divorce attorneys to represent your interests. Like traditional divorce, the end goal is to divide marital assets, debts, and property, and to formalize a parenting plan in which you make agreements about child custody and shared parenting time. The big difference between collaborative divorce and traditional divorce is that you’ll resolve your differences at the negotiating table rather than in court.

The Redmond, Washington collaborative divorce lawyers at Truce Law can help you put together a team of professionals able to help you answer some of the toughest questions divorce raises. Need help making financial decisions, especially if you have retirement accounts, own property, and have built marital savings? A financial advisor or even a forensic accountant can make sure that all assets are accounted for. Your collaborative divorce lawyer can help you understand your rights in light of division of assets laws and help you negotiate a fair and reasonable divorce settlement. Having trouble making child custody decisions? A parenting coach or counselor can help you and your former partner find creative solutions and a path forward to being good co-parents. Are you both still angry? Counselors can help you work through your emotions, so you can make the best possible long-term solutions for yourself and your children, and set a solid foundation for your co-parenting journey. Divorce can be challenging. Truce Law is a collaborative divorce law firm in Redmond, Washington that can help you reach a divorce agreement fairly and as quickly as possible, while cutting the costs of court battles and court dates.

Dividing Pensions and Retirement Accounts in Divorce in Redmond, Washington

If you work for Nintendo or Microsoft, two of the largest employers in Redmond, Washington, you might have a pension or retirement account, and may be wondering what might happen to your Nintendo or Microsoft pension or retirement account if you were to get divorced. Is your pension subject to division in your divorce? The short answer is, maybe. Any value added to your pension or retirement accounts during your marriage is considered shared marital property and is therefore subject to division during your divorce. In addition to the family home, pension and retirement accounts like IRAs, 401(k)s, and pension plans will likely be one of your largest shared assets. The collaborative divorce lawyers in Redmond, Washington at Truce Law can help you understand your rights regarding your pension and retirement account and help you reach a divorce agreement that lets you continue to work toward your retirement goals.

The collaborative divorce lawyers in Redmond, Washington at Truce Law can help you determine which accounts might be considered separate property and which accounts are marital property. Some couples choose to divide pension and retirement accounts down the middle, but if you have been building your retirement account before you were married, it may be helpful to bring in accountants and your collaborative divorce lawyer to study your retirement account more closely. Some of its value built before your marriage may be entirely yours, while any added value may be subject to division in your divorce. It’s also important to note that you can’t just withdraw money from a retirement account without facing a tax penalty. The IRS has strict laws for how these accounts must be divided in a divorce. To avoid some of these challenges, some couples might choose to give one party the retirement account while the other keeps the home, but even this kind of decision may have challenges especially if your retirement account is tax-deferred. Truce Law is a collaborative divorce lawyer in Redmond, Washington who can help you explore your options and bring experts onto your team to help you avoid penalties and errors of valuation of assets during division of property and retirement accounts.

Finally, when it comes to splitting a pension, it might be possible to keep your former partner on the account as a beneficiary, offer a lump sum payment, or split assets creatively to avoid having to keep your partner on the pension. The decisions you make in your divorce can affect your finances and even your retirement. Make the right decision by choosing the collaborative divorce process with Truce Law in Redmond, Washington. We can help you save time and money by working out your division of property and assets outside of court.

Risks of Taking Your Divorce to Court in Redmond, Washington

Taking your divorce to court has many risks in addition to the risk that your divorce will take more time and cost you more money. If you take a dispute about what to do with your home, there’s a risk the judge will order the house sold and assets split, or the risk that the judge will make choices about dividing assets and property that neither of you want. If you take child custody decisions to a judge, there’s a good chance the judge will order mediation. In most cases, judges don’t want to make parenting decisions. After all, you and your spouse know your children best. Couples who take their divorce to court might end up being sent to the negotiating table by a judge. The collaborative divorce process begins where these divorces end up.

The collaborative divorce lawyers in Redmond, Washington at Truce Law are here to help you peacefully resolve your divorce outside of court. We can file your divorce paperwork by mail or electronically so that you never have to step foot in a courtroom.

What are the Benefits of Collaborative Divorce in Redmond, Washington?

The three main benefits of choosing the collaborative divorce process in Redmond, Washington is that the process can save you time, money, and protect your privacy. In addition to these concrete benefits, the collaborative divorce process has the added benefit of reducing stress, conflict, and offering a peaceful path to resolving your differences. Let’s explore these benefits.

• How Collaborative Divorce Saves You Money. Collaborative divorce can save you money by letting you control more directly the costs of divorce. If you go before a judge, there’s the chance the judge will ask that you hire a mediator to help you negotiate a divorce settlement. This is an added cost in addition to any of the other professional services you might need. With collaborative divorce, you hire your collaborative divorce lawyer; your partner hires his or her collaborative divorce attorney; and you only hire the professionals you need to help you reach the best possible settlement. Best of all, you don’t need to set a court date, and pay your lawyers to prepare for court. Instead, your collaborative divorce lawyer in Redmond, Washington can file your divorce paperwork by mail or electronically once you reach an agreement.
• How Collaborative Divorce Saves You Time. Going to court takes time. You’ll have to wait until the court has a free slot to hear your case. If you take your case to court, your divorce will be subject to the state’s timeline, and to a judge’s timeline. When you choose the collaborative divorce process in Redmond, Washington, your timeline is yours. If you and your former spouse can quickly reach an agreement, you can settle faster.
• How Collaborative Divorce Protects Your Privacy. Anything you say in court ends up on the public record. By settling your case privately through the collaborative divorce process, you don’t run the risk that sensitive details about your family, your dirty laundry, or finances will end up on the public record.

Truce Law is a collaborative divorce law firm in Redmond, Washington that can help you file for divorce peacefully. Our collaborative divorce lawyers are skilled in the art of negotiation. We use peaceful conflict resolution strategies to help you and your former partner find solutions to some of the most difficult questions that can arise in divorce. The best part is that you won’t have to set foot inside a courtroom. We can file your divorce paperwork electronically or by mail. Resolve your divorce the better way. Contact the Redmond, Washington collaborative divorce lawyers at Truce Law today.