Individual Consultations / Collaborative Divorce

Whether you are midway into your divorce, or just considering starting, whether you are in mediation or in court, individual consultations will give you confidential legal advice, quickly. You can get one time help or ongoing assistance, depending on your needs. When Monica is not acting as a neutral mediator, she can work as your individual collaborative lawyer to help negotiate an agreement for you outside of court.

What if I need legal help but I don’t want to retain an attorney?

One meeting provides:
  • All of the concentrated law you need, fast; (i.e. filing info, assets, debts, child and spousal support, and custody)
  • Legal handouts with everything you need to remember; &
  • Advice on how to file court motions or negotiate with your spouse on your own
and the option of:
  • Doing the rest on your own;
  • Hourly consultations, as you need. Pay only if you need more help; or
  • Getting step-by-step help. We will take care of everything for you to help you finish your divorce out of court.

What if I want to avoid court but my spouse won’t mediate?

The best option is to negotiate or ‘collaborate’ out of court. As a collaborative lawyer, Monica works together with your spouse to try to help reach an agreement between you two, rather than as an adversary. She will never go to court for you. In fact, she commits not to. Instead, she will clearly communicate with your spouse to ease the conversation and keep things simple. Sometimes you might even end up meeting all together to reach your agreement. If your spouse has already hired an attorney, Monica will negotiate directly with the other attorney.

How do I start the divorce filing if my spouse is not communicating with me?

This is often the case. The first steps you take can make a huge difference in how your divorce goes. The basic filing process can start the divorce in an adversarial way, which often starts everything on the wrong foot. We offer suggestions that are protective, yet avoid an adversarial start. This will give you the best chances of resolving your divorce out of court.

What if I am in court already but am hoping to settle?

You can always propose mediation or negotiation to your spouse at any point. If your spouse wants to move forward in court, you must go into court as well. If you initiated the motion in court and you would like to negotiate outside of court, you still can.  Depending on the timing, you can try to negotiate or mediate before your hearing. Alternatively, you could choose to delay or even cancel the motion. You stay in control of how much or how little help you get. Call us at (831) 429-4210 if you have more questions or to schedule an appointment.