If you and your spouse seek to divorce efficiently and with less pain, avoid court, divorce with dignity, and spend fewer of your resources, a Collaborative Divorce with experienced Fairfax, Va. Collaborative Divorce lawyers, Kales & Kales, PLC may be a good option for you.
Experienced Collaborative Family Law Attorneys in Fairfax
Jonathan Kales named as one of Ten Leaders in Collaborative Divorce Law.
WHAT IS COLLABORATIVE DIVORCE?
- Collaborative Divorce is an alternative approach to the traditional combative divorce process that focuses on helping the divorcing couple and their family move beyond the divorce and forward with their lives, so that getting through divorce can be a little less painful.
- Collaborative Divorce engages divorcing couples outside of the courtroom in an open, supportive, respectful, lower-conflict process to find shared solutions.
- Collaborative Divorce is a process in which the spouses work to negotiate a settlement agreement that addresses the goals, interests, and needs of both spouses and the best interests of their children.
- Collaborative divorce is a team-based approach in which each party has a lawyer in the room and the option to call on a neutral trained financial professional, a coach or coaches, and/or a child specialist.
WHAT MAKES COLLABORATIVE DIVORCE DIFFERENT?
- Collaborative Divorce promotes respectful dispute resolution and keeps spouses in control of the process – not judges. Each party retains a lawyer and pledges to resolve their dispute outside of court, making the process more open and less adversarial.
- Collaborative Divorce seeks to address a couple’s unique concerns in a creative, flexible process – as opposed to litigation, which is often rigidly driven by the “rule of law” and uses a “cookie cutter” or one-size-fits-all approach.
- The team-based approach guides the divorcing couple through the negotiation process, keeping talks productive and supportive.
HOW DOES COLLABORATIVE DIVORCE WORK?
Decide Upon the Collaborative Team. The spouses and their collaborative attorneys discuss which, if any, other collaborative professionals may be helpful with their case. Besides attorneys, other possible collaborative team members include: (1) a neutral mental health professional, who serves as a divorce coach for both spouses, or an individual coach for each spouse, (2) an impartial financial specialist, and/or (3) a child specialist.
Goals and Interests. We discuss and assist the spouses with identifying their goals and interests. This helps the spouses to be creative and think broadly while working towards a mutually agreeable settlement.
Collect Data and Spot Issues. We collect relevant data regarding your case, note agreements you have already reached, and identify remaining “questions to be answered” for you to achieve a settlement (e.g., What will the custody and parenting plan be? Will the spouses’ property and debts be equalized? Will there be spousal support/alimony? If yes, the amount and duration?
Brainstorm and Assess Options. We come up with options to address your “questions to your answered”/unsettled issues and assess and decide which of those options work best for you and your spouse.
Draft Written Agreement. The collaborative attorneys draft a divorce settlement agreement, which memorializes your settlement in principal. This agreement is often referred to as a Marital Settlement Agreement, a Property Settlement Agreement, or a Separation Agreement.
Get Divorced. Provided you and your spouse have been separated for the required period of time in Virginia (6 months if you and your spouse have no minor children together and 1 year if you do have minor children together), the collaborative attorneys usher the Marital Settlement Agreement through the court system. At the end of this process, the judge signs your Final Order of Divorce, and you are divorced.
BENEFITS OF COLLABORATIVE DIVORCE FOR NORTHERN VIRGINIA COUPLES
Reduced Hostility. The guiding principle of a Collaborative Divorce is respect. This respectful tone encourages you and your spouse to show compassion, understanding, and cooperation and to negotiate an enduring mutually beneficial settlement agreement.
Better for children. Divorce impacts children. It changes who they are. The Collaborative Process recognizes this and seeks to minimize divorce’s negative effects. Parenting plans seek to preserve healthy attachments and the emotional well-being of the family and are customized to suit the particular makeup of each unique family, such as a family with a special needs child.
Lower Costs. A Collaborative Divorce generally costs less, financially and emotionally, than traditional litigation with a Fairfax, VA divorce attorney. It is rare for a person that divorces collaboratively to experience the level of fees, turmoil, and conflict incurred by couples who take their cases to court.
Safety. Your case is resolved in meetings, where the attorneys only focus on helping you and your spouse reach settlement terms which are both agreeable to you and your spouse and are in the best interests of your family. You never have to worry that what you say might later be used against you by your spouse’s attorney in a courtroom.
Enduring. Couples tend to be much more satisfied and content with settlement agreements reached in the Collaborative Process, as opposed to rulings handed down by a judge in a courtroom. Couples have great input in settlement agreements reached in the Collaborative Process, which results in those agreements enduring over time, an environment of stability for the couple and their children, and less post-divorce litigation.
Control of Timing. Parties to a Collaborative Divorce participate in a number of well structured meetings where they determine the terms of their divorce settlement agreement. The parties can set the pace of these meetings—taking more time if they so desire or speeding things up as appropriate.
Control of Outcome. Spouses control their own outcome instead of a judge determining their fate.
Transparency. In a Collaborative Divorce, there is no “hiding of the ball.” Information, financial and otherwise, is shared openly. This allows attorneys to think creatively and to worry less about strategic one-upsmanship.
Confidentiality. Proceedings are confidential to ensure that all options can be safely considered and discussed.
Informed Decision Making. Spouses, with the assistance of their attorneys and sometimes other professionals, brainstorm and analyze possible settlement options. Parties are advised on the law as their attorneys view it and the potential financial impact and/or emotional consequences of their decisions.
WHY THE COLLABORATIVE PROCESS INSTEAD OF MEDIATION?
The goal of both the Collaborative Process and mediation in divorce cases is for divorcing couples to negotiate and enter divorce settlement agreements, which allows couples to avoid litigation and obtain uncontested divorces. The Collaborative Process is a better choice for divorcing couples where any of the following exist:
- On a scale of 1 to 10, the conflict level is a 4 or higher. The Collaborative Process has more resources than mediation, which allows it to succeed at greater conflict levels.
- The divorcing couple has minor children. In a collaborative case, a coach or coaches, all of whom are mental health professionals with significant parenting expertise, can be part of the professional team. When they are, the coach or coaches assist the spouses with agreeing upon a parenting plan, which consists of a parenting schedule (what a judge would call custody and visitation) and other parenting provisions.
- Either spouse is concerned the other may hire an adversarial, litigation-style attorney. This is highly unlikely to happen in the Collaborative Process, as attorneys who participate in collaborative cases must have extensive training in the Collaborative Process and all are active members of the Collaborative Professionals of Northern Virginia (CPNV), the Virginia Collaborative Professionals (VaCP), and the International Academy of Collaborative Professionals (IACP). Additionally, in all collaborative divorce cases, the spouses and the attorneys enter a Collaborative Participation Agreement, in which there are rules in the Process which preclude attorneys from being adversarial. For example, lawyers are not permitted to make threats. In mediation, the attorneys are not formally part of the mediation process and may take a combative approach.
- There is any sort of power imbalance between the spouses. For example, one spouse knows all about the couple’s finances while the other does not, or one spouse is comfortable negotiating at a conference room table while the other is not. In the Collaborative Process, there is a great deal of support, hand-holding, and expertise available to the spouses, which tends to help even out these power imbalances. In the face-to-face meetings of the Collaborative process, each party has his or her attorney next to them every step of the way. In mediation, the neutral mediator is usually the only professional at mediation sessions.
HOW DO I PERSUADE MY HUSBAND OR WIFE TO DIVORCE COLLABORATIVELY?
If you want to divorce collaboratively and are unsure of how to get your spouse on-board with contacting a Fairfax, VA collaborative divorce lawyer, most often a subtly persuasive, low-pressure approach is the way to go. LEARN MORE.
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Jonathan always provides timely advice in every area, always has the client's best interest at heart, and carefully weighs the needs of all family members. He also presents a very clear picture of all the options available without pressure.
As hard as the divorce is, Jonathan was very helpful in helping me navigate the proceedings in a collaborative setting. As a lawyer, Jonathan is very professional, trustworthy, calm and rational. And he is a wonderful human being. He is compassionate, kind, considerate and understands the pain and anxiety his clients go through.
Kales and Kales are the ultimate collaborative divorce team. They’ve got it all. I felt respected during the entire process. With their extensive expertise and kindness, they created a safe place for tough conversations. Jonathan’s response time was lightening fast. I recommend them enthusiastically without reservation.
Jonathan Kales was a superb trail guide through the thickets of the amicable divorce process. He provided expert advice and counsel to me, while helping to moderate difficult interactions with my spouse. He was sensitive and compassionate when we needed him to be, which ultimately made the whole experience so much easier. I greatly value his professionalism and would recommend him without reservation.
When I started thinking about getting a divorce I had no clue where to turn. But was very pleased to have heard about the “Collaborative” process and even happier to have found Jonathan Kales. Jonathan is very hands on and won’t tell you “what you want to hear” he will tell you the truth and help you understand how best to get through the process and in the end still feel whole. Jonathan has a very calm demeanor yet don't let that fool you into thinking he won’t fight for you and your best interests. He very smart and knows the Law, will get to know you and your case, and will provide sound advice and solutions, as well as talk you off “the ledge” if needed. He’s a calming factor in an otherwise stressful environment. I think the one thing I truly felt about Jonathan is that he cared about me. I didn't just feel like a client. He’s a very compassionate person and doesn't fit the “stereotype” people may have about lawyers.
I would highly recommend the Collaborative process and even more, Jonathan Kales and his team. Our process required more face to face meeting with my ex and her attorney, in comparison to some other reviews here. Each case is different and Jonathan doesn't work only one style that works best for him, he meets the needs of his clients. Jonathan even helped my ex with attorney recommendations when her first attorney didn't work out. That is another benefit to the Collaborative process. These attorneys are trained to work together for your best interest…to make the best of a tough situation.
If you are considering a divorce or have already started the process I can tell you with great confidence, Jonathan would be the first person you should call. Divorce is not easy and is hard on everyone involved, but Jonathan helped make this much easier for me to function because I knew I had him in my corner. He will work hard for you, make you feel like you are his only client and in the end, help you move forward with your life.
A lot of people throw around the term "collaborative divorce," but Jonathan and his team walk the walk. Thanks to his patient and expert counsel, my ex-wife and I reached a settlement that was fair for both of us. And, importantly, avoiding much of the recrimination often associated with divorce enabled us to stay in touch and even get together with our now-grown children for dinner once in awhile. Granted, not all divorce situations are the same. But I felt like Kales & Kales made a sincere effort to discern what we truly wanted and try to get us there.
Couldn't be more happy with the services provided. Jonathan's team was very efficient yet detail oriented and gave me a great sense of trust during a very difficult period
I found Jonathan to be knowledgeable, experienced, sensitive, professional, and thorough in his work on my divorce. Recommended by a mediator, he was easy to begin working with. He was able to understand my individual situation, listening to what I said and tailoring our discussions accordingly. Compared to some divorce cases, mine was small, but Jonathan made me feel as if I was as important as any of his clients. I felt very "taken care of" during the whole process. I highly recommend him.
My first Collaborative Divorce case was as a Child Specialist on a team with Jonathan Kales. He was very welcoming and supportive of me and was sensitive to the mental health issues of the case as they unfolded. Jonathan was of immense help to the clients by his thoughtful and professional integration of the information regarding the child's wishes and needs and the hopes, concerns and goals of the parents into the overall collaborative divorce process.
I found Jonathan Kales through a referral on a web site for collaborative attorneys after my ex and I decided to try the collaborative process. Agreeing to get divorced was tough, but from our first meeting, Jonathan made it clear how the process works, what I should expect to hear, what it would cost, and all the lawyerly business involved. But he also let me know that it was OK to feel, whether that was bad, sad, or mad, it was OK to feel something. Throughout the process, he gave me excellent counsel, both professionally, and personally, which lowered my stress overall. It was clear that he was paying attention during the collaborative meetings, jumping in several times to keep her attorney from walking all over me, and protecting my interests from my own desire to simply get it over with. He helped me with a referral to an estate planning attorney who worked out well too. I am grateful for his help and caring manner.