Family Attorney
Cutting casualties of divorce
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Divorce can be an ugly affair. No one knows that better than ex-spouses, their families and the attorneys who represent them. That’s why about 15 local attorneys recently were trained in collaborative law, a process in which disputes–in this case, divorce–are settled outside of court. “People don’t know until they go through a divorce how horrible it is,” said family law attorney Stacey Strentz, who has litigated hundreds of divorces over 13 years with the Stafford County firm Rinehart, Lowery, Strentz & Butler, P.L.C. “It’s so expensive and so contentious and there are so many casualties.” Strentz chairs the local group of collaborative attorneys and recently hosted an information session at her Fredericksburg home to get more family-law attorneys, mental-health professionals, financial advisers and other parties involved in the collaborative law movement. Collaborative law differs from mediation in that mediators are barred from giving clients legal advice. At minimum, the collaborative process involves four parties: husband, wife and an attorney representing each. All four sign a contract agreeing to negotiate and resolve all divorce-related issues (property, child custody, etc.) outside of court. The contract also stipulates that both attorneys withdraw from the case if either client decides to pursue litigation. “It’s a better way to work through the process,” Strentz said. More : fredericksburg.com |
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