The total cost of the Collaborative Process is a function of how much time the professionals involved are working with the clients to resolve their case. It is also a function of how long you are involved in the process, which makes the choice of the process a critical financial decision.
Litigation is by far the most expensive method of resolving your family conflict. 
This is because a significant percentage of your litigation dollars (i.e. your attorney’s time) are spent on tasks which are neither productive nor focused on resolution of your specific issues. For example, hours can be spent waiting in court for your case to be called, attending conferences just to schedule the hearings, responding to lengthy written requests for documents and information, and on and on and on. Between the filing of your complaint and reaching the trial or a resolution is likely a year or more. The resulting cost of litigation can be $20,000 to $100,000, or even more.
The collaborative process is less expensive than litigation because one hundred percent of your dollars (your attorney’s time) are dedicated to resolving your case in a timely fashion. The demands on your attorney’s time is less in the Collaborative Process because other Collaborative professionals assist the parties in gathering information and resolving certain issues at a less expensive hourly rate. As a result, the Collaborative Process can cost less than litigation.
The Collaborative Process also reduces the overall expense of divorce by:
- Communications between attorneys are civil and productive
- Meetings are focused on the common goal of achieving an equitable resolution
- Urgent situations are dealt with in a timely manner
- Temporary agreements are reached to stabilize the family while the process is pending
- Information is exchanged and verified during streamlined meetings
- Settlements are reached considering the interests of both participants
- Expedites the pathway to Maryland’s mutual consent divorce
- The Collaborative Coach addresses emotional issues throughout the process to reduce conflict and enable your attorney to spend time on relevant legal issues