Collaborative Divorce in Maryland and Washington, D.C.: Contact an Attorney

While divorce ends a marriage, family ties carry on, especially when there are children. Even without children, quite a few divorced couples have held onto nurturing friendships. Collaborative family law methods take advantage of, and enhance, ongoing ties between divorced mothers, fathers and ex-spouses. Collaborative family law fosters mutual respect and encourages cooperation and ongoing meaningful relationships between parents and children and between divorced parents, long after the divorce is over.

In collaborative divorce, our family law clients at Joseph, Greenwald & Laake, P.A. agree to three fundamental principles:

• They sign a pledge not to go to court
• They agree to engage in an honest exchange of information
• They commit themselves to crafting a solution that takes into account the well-being of the adults and their children.

Attorneys David Bulitt, and Barbara Jorgenson of Joseph, Greenwald & Laake, PA are trained and certified in Collaborative Divorce. Ms. Jorgenson is a member of the Prince George's County Collaborative Practice Group. Mr. Bulitt is a member of CDA in Montgomery County and Howard County's Collaborative Family Practice Group. Our attorneys maintain a network of professionals who are available to assist with the collaborative divorce process, such as other collaboratively trained attorneys, child psychologists, investment counselors, accountants, real estate agents, bankers and mortgage brokers. Ask a family law attorney at Joseph, Greenwald & Laake, P.A. to explain how the collaborative family law process can provide and preserve these relationships.

• Collaborative family law encourages mutual respect
• It emphasizes the constant changing needs of children
• It allows parties to avoid lengthy litigation and court
• It keeps control of the process with the parties, not judges
• It fosters open communication
• It uses a problem solving approach
• It identifies and addresses both parties interests and concerns
• It prepares individuals and divorcing families for new lives

Settle key questions of divorce including child custody and alimony in privacy and in an atmosphere of trust and reason. Contact Joseph, Greenwald & Laake, P.A. to schedule a consultation with an experienced collaborative divorce lawyer.

Resources:

International Academy of Collaborative Divorce
Collaborative Divorce Association, Inc
DC Child support calculations
MD Judiciary Case Search
Mortgage Calculator

Books:

The Truth About Children and Divorce by Dr. Robert Emery
Helping Your Children Cope with Divorce, the Sandcastles Way
Collaborative Divorce -The Revolutionary New Way to Restructure Your Family by Pauline Tesler and Peggy Thompson
Mom's House, Dad's House: Making Two Homes for Your Child by Isolina Ricci