What are the benefits of avoiding a trial?

Negotiating a divorce settlement rather than going to trial can save both spouses time, money, and further emotional distress. The longer a divorce drags out, the greater the cost in terms of attorneys’ fees and court fees and the more prolonged the stress the proceedings can put on both spouses. A settlement reached through negotiation can also help preserve civil and respectful relations between the spouses. When your attorney negotiates a settlement for you, you retain some control over what you’re willing to compromise on and what you are not. In a trial, a judge makes these binding decisions for you, and they may not align with your priorities.

What if a settlement can’t be negotiated?

In some instances, a trial really is your best option. An experienced divorce attorney can help you consider the pros and cons of taking your case to trial. For some families, alternative forms of dispute resolution, like mediation and collaborative law, may be an option to pursue instead of more formal settlement negotiations. However, if the reason settlement negotiations are not progressing is because of one or more party’s unwillingness to cooperate or compromise, these approaches to more amicably resolving issues are unlikely to work. Litigation and, ultimately, a trial may be in your future.

What disputes can be settled through negotiations in a divorce?

A negotiated settlement may address any of the issues under dispute in the dissolution of a marriage or civil union, including the division of the couple’s property and assets, child custody, spousal support (alimony), and child support.

How do you win in divorce negotiations?

To obtain the most favorable results possible in divorce settlement negotiations, you need to be clear about your priorities and choose an attorney who, in addition to having excellent negotiation skills, is willing to fight for those priorities. Part of a negotiated settlement is coming up with an agreement that all parties feel benefits them, at least to the extent that they are willing to accept the settlement. This means you may have to compromise on matters that are a lower priority in order to achieve the outcome you want on the issues that matter the most to you. It helps to have a resourceful attorney on your side who can propose thoughtful and creative solutions that both uphold your priorities and provide the opposing party with a reason to agree with the proposed settlement.

Bannockburn Settlement Negotiations Lawyer | Negotiated Divorce Settlements Attorney Lake County, IL

Negotiated Divorce Settlements Attorney in Lake County, IL Achieving Favorable Outcomes in Bannockburn, Cook County, DuPage County, Will County, and Throughout Northeastern Illinois

Although every family law matter is different, the most likely way for your divorce case to end is through a negotiated settlement. Few cases actually proceed to trial, a reality that makes it all the more important to choose a Bannockburn settlement negotiations lawyer with outstanding negotiation skills and a commitment to thorough case preparation.

At the Katz, Goldstein & Warren Law Firm, our team has extensive experience negotiating divorce settlements that reflect our clients’ priorities and secure their best interests. To get started with a confidential initial consultation, contact us today.

Divorce Negotiations in Bannockburn, IL

In Illinois, the vast majority of divorce cases are resolved through a negotiated settlement rather than a trial. That’s by design, with settlement negotiations encouraged throughout divorce proceedings. Settling divorce disputes through negotiations generally benefits both spouses in multiple ways.

The process of negotiating a settlement is common across a variety of legal areas, but negotiated settlements in domestic disputes are unique. In these cases, the opposing parties have intimate knowledge of each other. As a result, a family law case is often a sensitive matter.

In some instances, there are compelling reasons to preserve amicable future relations between the divorcing spouses, as well. If children are involved, the spouses may need to share long-lasting co-parenting relationships subsequent to the divorce. A legally negotiated settlement may be able to better facilitate these relationships than a bitter courtroom battle.

An experienced negotiated divorce settlements attorney in Lake County, IL, has the skills to pursue an outcome that’s beneficial to you while ensuring you retain the freedom to explore all avenues for resolution.

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What Happens in Divorce Settlement Negotiations?

Some divorce settlement negotiations are quick and comparably peaceful, with both parties prioritizing a swift resolution to their disputes and treating each other respectfully or even cordially. Other negotiated settlements are hard-won compromises that occur only after a lengthy and contentious back-and-forth, often with the shadow of a trial looming. For many families going through a divorce, the path to a negotiated settlement falls somewhere in between.

The potential stages your case may go through as your negotiated divorce settlements attorney in Lake County, IL, works to reach an agreement with the opposing party include the following.

Discovery

Before negotiations can really get underway, both sides need to be familiar with the issues. The discovery phase of your case involves gathering all information that is relevant to the disputes at hand.

In a divorce case, a lot of this information has to do with the division of property. Your Bannockburn settlement negotiations lawyer will analyze financial records and documentation to fully understand the property and assets that must be divided. This may include business valuation if you or your spouse own any businesses and retirement plan assets.

Information presented during the discovery stage of divorce proceedings may also inform matters such as:

Whether and how much a spouse pays in maintenance (alimony) to the other spouse
How custody of any children will be managed
Who will pay child support and how much they will pay

Thorough attention to the discovery stage sets the tone for the future of your case. It’s essential to choose a Bannockburn settlement negotiations lawyer who approaches this stage of the process with a determination to begin preparing strong arguments on your behalf.

Conferences

Divorce settlement conferences give both spouses and their attorneys an opportunity to meet to discuss the decisions that must be resolved before you can move forward with finalizing your divorce. Settlement conferences can be informal or formal, depending on what’s needed in an individual case. Throughout the settlement conference, your negotiated divorce settlements attorney in Lake County, IL, will be there to guide, support, and represent you.

Negotiations

Successfully negotiating a divorce settlement requires a blend of skills. Our role as your Bannockburn settlement negotiations lawyer is to both facilitate an agreement with the other party and protect your top priorities. Through negotiations with your spouse’s attorney, we will work toward an agreement that benefits you in the most important ways while also providing reasons to get your spouse to agree to the settlement.

Litigation

Depending on when and how negotiations progress, your case may enter litigation, or formal legal action. In litigation, the divorcing spouses may put the decision regarding their domestic disputes in the hands of a judge.

Even once litigation has commenced, the spouses are encouraged to try to reach a settlement without taking the case to trial. Just because your divorce case has entered litigation does not mean that a negotiated settlement is no longer possible.

Prove-Up

Once your negotiated divorce settlements attorney in Lake County, IL, has helped you reach an agreement with your spouse, it’s time to move forward with finalizing the divorce. We execute this final agreement in a process called a “Prove-Up.” Lawyers involved in the case will prepare a Judgment for Dissolution of Marriage that incorporates your negotiated settlement in the form of a Marital Settlement Agreement (pertaining to finances) and a Child Custody and Parenting Agreement (pertaining to children, if any). Both spouses sign these agreements.

Typically, both parties subsequently appear in court to “prove up” or testify orally about the terms of the agreement. In some cases, only the spouse who originally filed the Petition for Dissolution of Marriage/Civil Union will attend. During the Prove-Up, the party is sworn in and asked questions pertaining to the terms of the agreement by both parties’ attorneys before the judge. The judge will make oral findings that conclude the case and finalize the divorce proceedings.

How the Katz, Goldstein & Warren Law Firm Can Help

Making the most out of divorce settlement negotiations begins with the right approach.

At the Katz, Goldstein & Warren Law Firm, our approach to negotiating divorce settlements begins with careful preparation. We know the strength of your case directly influences the outcome of negotiations, so we put our efforts into analyzing the relevant information and using it to build strong arguments for your desired outcomes.

Our team takes a personalized approach to negotiating divorce settlements. All settlements are going to require some compromise, but our goal is to ensure the outcomes align with your top priorities. Before we go into negotiations, we’ll work with you to establish certain parameters that will guide our efforts:

What you most want to gain through the settlement process
To what extent you’re willing to compromise on the different issues under dispute
What issues you’re not willing to compromise or adjust your stance on

We never lose track of the twofold goal of settlement negotiations, which encompasses:

Concluding the case faster and with less emotional distress for both spouses
Protecting and pushing for your best interests

Over the course of negotiations, we artfully offer proposals that serve both of these objectives and move your case forward.

Why Choose the Katz, Goldstein & Warren Law Firm?

If a negotiated settlement is your most likely path forward, you need to plan for this probability as you choose a divorce attorney. You can count on an accomplished Bannockburn settlement negotiations lawyer at the Katz, Goldstein & Warren Law Firm to bring strong negotiating skills and a keen strategy to your case. Our firm’s reputation for excellence and integrity, not only in settlement negotiations but in all aspects of family law practice, makes us a clear choice for Illinois residents selecting a divorce attorney.

Recognized Skills in Negotiation and Litigation

At the Katz, Goldstein & Warren Law Firm, our family law attorneys have years of successful experience in negotiating settlements that exclusively involve divorce and other matrimonial matters. We have a long history of obtaining favorable results for our clients through negotiated settlements.

In any negotiation, it helps to have leverage. Our reputation as skilled litigators and experienced trial attorneys provides our clients with an advantage in reaching favorable settlements, because the opposing party knows we won’t hesitate to take your case to trial if that’s what’s in your best interests.

A Compassionate Approach to Family Law

Our firm focuses on family law exclusively, so we’re fully immersed in the issues unique to this area of practice and the challenges, legal and otherwise, that our clients are facing. Throughout the proceedings, our goal is not only to achieve a resolution to divorce disputes that benefits you but also to make the divorce process easier and less stressful for you. We approach each case with compassion for the difficult situation you’re in and a commitment to protect your privacy and dignity during the proceedings.

Contact a Bannockburn Settlement Negotiations Lawyer Today at the Katz, Goldstein & Warren Law Firm for a Confidential Initial Consultation

Both spouses ultimately benefit from resolving a divorce case through settlement negotiations when possible. With the right lawyer handling negotiations, you can feel confident that your interests and priorities are fully represented in these negotiations.

For help from a divorce settlement attorney in Bannockburn, IL, contact the Katz, Goldstein & Warren Law Firm online or call us today.

Bannockburn Settlement Negotiations Lawyer