Committed to Collaborative Divorce Practices
Our Wheaton based Collaborative Divorce Attorney, Erin Birt, is committed to utilizing collaborative divorce practices for divorcing couples after seeing proof of the positive outcomes experienced by her clients and their children. Ms. Birt frequently works with clients that recognize the importance of resolving family disputes privately and without the threat of going to court. It is a mark of honor to avoid a fight when avoiding the fight creates positive rewards for the family and children.
The collaborative divorce law process starts when each party is represented by a collaborative divorce lawyer. Why do both parties need to have a collaborative divorce lawyer? The time efficient and time effective negotiation skills of a collaborative divorce attorney help the client and family navigate complex Illinois divorce issues in less time and for less cost than a typical litigated divorce. One reason why litigation is very expensive is litigation attorneys working on the same case often have very different practice philosophies, education, and training - and thus very different goals which often are paid for by the divorce client.
The collaborative divorce law process may also include the use of a proactive team to provide the family with unbiased professional assistance. The proactive collaborative divorce team may include a child specialist, divorce coach, or a financial specialist. At Birt Law, we have a Divorce Financial Analyst on staff and therefore our clients do not have to work with multiple offices.
The Collaborative Divorce
Why consider a Collaborative Divorce?
When considering a divorce, the collaborative divorce process is appropriate for couples:
- who want a civilized, respectful resolution of the issues;
- who are willing to focus on solutions rather than on blame or revenge;
- who need to maintain a productive working relationship with their (ex) spouses;
- who will be co-parenting and want to protect the child/ren from the negative impact associated with litigation;
- who want to create the terms of their divorce settlement rather than turning control over to a judge;
- who value privacy.
To learn more about Illinois collaborative divorce law and its benefits, please download our free Collaborative Divorce Knowledge Kit below. The kit answers many of the common questions about Collaborative Divorce and how it has benefited real families.
Collaborative Divorce Knowledge Kit
In this kit you will receive:
- The “Collaborative Divorce vs. Litigation Divorce” comparison
- Case Studies that highlight the flexible, solution-oriented process of Collaborative Divorce
- General Information about the collaborative practice model and the benefits
Download the Collaborative Divorce Knowledge Kit
Our Wheaton and Chicago based Collaborative Divorce Law firm provides a different and better divorce experience:
- Wheaton based Collaborative Divorce Attorney Erin Birt was the DuPage County Practice Group Leader for the Collaborative Law Institute of Illinois and hosted monthly meetings at our Wheaton Office which means we have gathered significant local connections that expedite and improve the divorce process;
- Ms. Birt was a faculty presenter for the International Academy of Collaborative Professionals in Chicago and thus she is a resource and trainer for other Collaborative Practice professionals which means her dispute resolution negotiation skills are always up to date and best standards;
- Erin is also a member and past board member for the Mediation Council of Illinois since alternative dispute resolution is her passion and thus she has experience at all levels of the Collaborative Divorce process (team building, skilled negotiations, and leadership) which helps our clients reach their divorce goals;
- Birt Law is unique in that we have an in house Divorce Financial Analyst that automatically builds your Collaborative Divorce Team which keeps costs down without having to retain yet another third party;
- Unlike other Collaborative Divorce Attorneys, at Birt Law we automatically offer a flat fee for our client's Chicago and Wheaton based Collaborative Divorces so clients can predict and budget for divorce related costs. Contact us today to discuss flat fees for other regional areas. We honor that flat fee upon agreement of opposing counsel to also honor a flat fee. Otherwise, we offer hourly rates that match opposing counsel so there is equal legal access to services for both parties to the divorce or separation.
- We accept credit cards and payment plans so clients can budget divorce costs and manage existing living expenses.
