WITH ANNE PRENNER SCHMIDT
THE LAW OFFICES OF ANNE SCHMIDT LLC
Q: How does a Collaborative Divorce differ from a typical litigated divorce?
A: Divorce can be one of the most difficult and emotional periods in life. Compounding that stress with needless and costly litigation only heightens emotion and can make divorce into an ugly process. Collaborative Practice, on the other hand, is structured to meet the emotional and financial needs of the family, without the time constraints and sometimes overwhelming procedures and paperwork of the litigation process.
Q: What is the most rewarding part of your career?
A: Not participating in a litigated process. The fact that I can help people realize that there is a different way to work through the dissolution process, whether that be through mediation or collaboration, to provide equally positive results without all of the acrimony, is incredibly rewarding.
Q: What is your Personal mission statement?
A: To look at the divorce process through the collaborative lens- we are not destroying the family but rather reorganizing it. My “mission” is to encourage and promote an alternative path to resolution through mediation and collaborative law processes. Thus, resulting in the preservation of the client’s important relationships, while simultaneously accomplishing their goals. By doing this, I help the client limit financial resources and save time as opposed to litigation.
Q: What is the hallmark of a collaborative divorce?
A: The hallmark of the Collaborative Divorce is the “team” approach in helping families resolve their disputes. Having a team of professionals involved whether it be a therapist, or a financial coach can help address major issues, while allowing the parties to avoid the typical pitfalls of divorce.
Q: What piece of advice would you give to a friend who was considering a divorce?
A: I would advise a friend to educate themselves in all options available to them to dissolve their marriage to determine what is best for their family. I would tell them that Collaborative Divorce is a respectful divorce alternative to litigation, but that it is not for everyone. I would ask them to ask themselves the hard question “are they committed to divorcing amicably and do they think their spouse will be equally committed?” If the answer is yes, I would suggest that they find a Collaboratively trained professional on the Collaborative Law Institute of Illinois website: collablawil.org/professionals/ and schedule a consultation to fully understand the process and their options.
CONTACT
THE LAW OFFICES OF ANNE SCHMIDT, LLC 1736 1ST STREET, HIGHLAND PARK IL 60035
OFFICE: (847) 926-7679 | MOBILE: (312) 208-7389 | FAX: (847) 926-7332
[email protected], ANNESCHMIDTLAW.COM, QDRORESOURCE.COM