how to make the right decision
Are you the “what if” person? You are looking to sell your home and you interview different real estate brokers. They each provide you with comps (comparables) of what they feel you house should sell for. Some may even say…I have a buyer that would be interested, let me list your home. Or they promise to you/suggest that you can get “Y” for your home when the other brokers are more realistic and suggest 
“X.” But don’t you want the most if you’re selling? Will you feel seller’s remorse if you sell and another broker says I could have gotten you more? Or you pass on a deal and then sign up with the broker that promised you a higher price, only to have your property sit longer and then you must lower your price?
I find this so similar to people that chose a litigation attorney. As much as he/she would like to be part of the process, he/she meets with their attorney and strategize what they want to do. In the end, it’s beyond your control. There’s another person strategizing to do something completely different than what you want. The process can continue over a period of years with court adjournments, waiting, and the cost of waiting…attorney fees keep mounting with no outcome in sight.
So, you either decide to settle to move on, wait for a judge to decide, or decide right before going in to the judge “on the courtyard steps.” And then you speak to a friend who tells you to speak to their attorney. This new attorney says, why are you settling for that, I can get you this, you’re crazy for accepting the deal…and so you decide to go with this new “promising” attorney. The process starts over, and the settlement may be more than what you were prepared to give, or less than what you were going to get, and the fees have increased dramatically.
Sound like the real estate broker with the promises? Who really wins in the end?
Many collaborative divorce attorneys all started doing litigation but saw there was a better way if a marriage were to end. The couple and their individual attorneys sit down at a table to talk about options, interests, desires and help craft a settlement agreement that works for them. The goal is to create a “win-win” situation during an emotionally upsetting time and empower the couple to move forward in this respectful process. Just like a General Medical Practitioner, when specialists are needed for parenting plans and finances, neutrals are brought in to expedite the process.
You may not want to “sell,” but you certainly can be part of the decision in finding the right “buyer” by looking for a Collaborative Attorney for your divorce.