Sophisticated Solutions For Complex Family Changes
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Finding Smart Solutions Outside Of Court

Our team at Barbara J. Howard Co., L.P.A., focuses on finding tailored solutions to your legal needs through collaborative law. This legal method can help keep your case out of court — and keep the power of the final decision in your hands.

Collaborative law is structured so that spouses, along with each spouse’s legal counsel, discuss their situation and legal needs, and after gathering all relevant information, create potential options to resolve each aspect of their case. Our Ohio attorneys are members of the Cincinnati Academy of Collaborative Professionals. The collaborative model uses attorneys and relevant experts trained in the process with the goal of helping spouses reach global resolutions outside of court. This process is interest-based, looking at each person’s goals and objectives as they both look toward the next chapters in your lives. The result is a complete resolution, the same as in a traditionally negotiated dissolution. The agreement is incorporated into your decree of dissolution of marriage, as a final and binding agreement to property and possibly spousal support.

What To Expect During The Collaborative Law Process

By working cooperatively through the collaborative process, our focus is to give you and your spouse the tools to fashion the resolution of your issues in a way that works for both of you, paying attention to your goals and interests, as well as to the details that no court will ever address. It is often those details that can make all the difference to you and your spouse. Through this process, you and your spouse are the architects of your settlement. While the work is hard, the resolution is worth it.

We will help comprehensively guide you to the best solution possible. Instead of cutting assets or schedules down the middle, we consider each person’s unique wants and needs.

For example, instead of saying, “I want the house,” we can guide the conversation to ask, “What are all of our options for the house?”

Our firm has been trained in the collaborative process. With our experience, we can provide:

  • An interest-based negotiating method for terminating your marriage
  • Creative and unique solutions for your family’s needs
  • Up-to-date information as to new statutes affecting child and spousal support
  • Access to neutral experts in communication, interpersonal relationships, and financial and tax matters to assist the team in arriving at the best parenting, property and support solutions for you and your family
  • Methods and approaches for more positive communication with your spouse, especially as it relates to co-parenting your children

Is Collaborative Law Right For You?

Collaborative law is an excellent fit for spouses who are interested in working together to find an amicable resolution to parenting, support and property issues. This does not mean that you and your spouse must agree on everything at the outset, however, nor does it mean that you and your spouse have to get along. The collaborative process allows you and your spouse to discuss your disagreements in a resolution-oriented environment. The collaborative process also allows for more privacy than dealing with divorce in the court system.

The collaborative process is right for many people, but certainly not for everyone. We can help you initially assess whether we think it is the best process for you to use to terminate your marriage. Even if you start with the collaborative process, you can stop it at any time to move toward litigation, although this will involve both parties finding new attorneys and starting their cases over again.

Holistic Help That Puts Your Family First

When it comes to resolving legal issues, you need a detail-oriented team that looks out for your best interests. If you are interested in learning more about the collaborative process, call 513-421-7300 or send us a message online. Our family law attorneys can work with you to determine whether collaborative law is the right approach for you.