My situation wasn’t a normal one. There wasn’t a divorce, nor was there even a relationship, yet in the middle of the two of us was the Son we had together. I wanted to make sure that I could secure my rights, not just for myself, but so that my son had a healthy and active relationship with his father. We had many issues communicating in the past and without the proper steps, we probably would never be able to communicate in the future.
Collaborative law was suggested to me by a family member who had gone through the courts. I wanted a way to be able to work through the important things but also allow both parties to feel that they had a voice and worked together for the end goal.
I feel fortunate that I did use collaborative law because the relationship I have with my son’s mother has developed to a healthy level. I don’t envision a burgeoning friendship with her but we are both partner’s in our son’s lives and he needs to see that solid relationship so that he can develop properly in his life and understand that a split family doesn’t always have to be a negative thing.