Chad Layton Collaborative Divorce Attorney

Should I Bring My Spouse With Me To Talk To A Divorce Attorney?

Divorce Options Yes, you can bring your spouse with you to talk to a divorce attorney. There are many advantages to bringing your spouse with you to this meeting. Transparency The biggest benefit to having your spouse at the meeting (zoom or in person) is that you are showing your husband or wife that you…

Chad Layton collaborative divorce attorney west palm beach

How Do I Make A Plan For Divorce?

For many of us, making a plan is the first step to overcoming an obstacle. Divorce is no different. MAKING A PLAN FOR DIVORCE First, you can sit down and consider what your objective goals are for your divorce. Write out an outline that includes the following: Do I really want to divorce my spouse,…

Chad Layton Collaborative Divorce Attorney

Do I Need a Child Specialist In My Collaborative Divorce?

There is no doubt that the Collaborative divorce process is more popular among families that have minor children.  Parents put their children first.  They don’t agree on everything, but they do agree that they will do everything in their power to protect their children from the potential harmful impacts of a nasty divorce. A trained…

Chad Layton Collaborative Divorce Attorney

Are You Part Of The 3%?

Recently, a family law judge in Palm Beach County provided valuable insight to a group of local divorce attorneys and professionals. The judge reminded us that 97% of all divorce cases in Palm Beach County reach a settlement agreement without going to trial. 3% of divorce matters in Palm Beach County go to trial.  These…

Chad Layton Collaborative Divorce Attorney

How Does a Child Specialist Help in Collaborative Divorce?

Divorce is a difficult and challenging process for everyone involved, especially for children that are in the middle of the process. Collaborative divorce offers a peaceful and child-centered approach, which minimizes the negative impact on children. When minor children are part of the family, a valuable addition to the collaborative divorce team is a child…

Chad Layton Collaborative Divorce Attorney

What Is The Role Of The Financial Professional In Collaborative Divorce?

Collaborative divorce is a process that prioritizes respectful communications, freely exchanged information, direct participation of both spouses, and solutions to accomplish the goals set by you and your spouse. These are lofty ideals that are achieved every day by collaboratively trained attorneys, mental health professionals, and financial professionals. The financial professional on your Collaborative team…

Chad Layton collaborative divorce attorney west palm beach

Can I Get A Collaborative Divorce If We Don’t Agree On Everything?

Yes.  The Collaborative Divorce process provides you with a team of experienced divorce professionals that work to provide you with solutions that are tailored to the unique circumstances and finances of your marriage. Your Collaborative Divorce team can include a financial professional, a mental health professional and two collaboratively trained divorce attorneys.  The entire team…

Chad Layton collaborative divorce attorney west palm beach

Can I Hire A Divorce Lawyer To Help Me Instead Of To Fight For Me

I don’t want to have a lawyer decide my divorce.  I don’t want a lawyer to escalate conflict and make my divorce worse.  I don’t want to damage my relationship with my husband or wife beyond repair. These are all very real and legitimate concerns when you are contemplating a divorce. You know that you…

Chad Layton collaborative divorce attorney west palm beach

How Does The New Florida Alimony Law Affect Collaborative Divorce?

On June 30, 2023, Governor Ron DeSantis signed the Florida alimony reform bill into law. Here are a few take aways from the new alimony statute: Permanent or “Lifetime Alimony” is eliminated. Adultery by either spouse may now be considered in awarding alimony, and its resulting financial impact on the spouses. The legal standard of “need”…

Chad Layton Collaborative Divorce Attorney

What Are The Rules Of Collaborative Divorce?

The strength of collaborative divorce is that there is only one rule, and that is that the spouses will not resort to a court battle. Instead, each spouse chooses their own collaboratively trained divorce attorney. Each attorney will sign a disqualification clause that provides that they cannot represent either spouse in a contested court action.…