Keep Your Divorce Private And Under Your Control: Collaborative Divorce In Dakota County
Last updated on May 5, 2026
Divorce does not necessarily have to be a fight. When both parties in a divorce are willing to negotiate and work together to resolve issues such as child custody, marital property division and spousal maintenance, the collaborative law process provides a solution.
Meinerts Law Office, P.A., recommends that, when possible, divorcing couples consider collaborative divorce as an option for dissolving their marriage. The Dakota County law firm can walk you through the steps of this procedure and ensure that both parties benefit from this process.
What Are The Benefits Of A Collaborative Divorce?
The collaborative process allows the parties to determine how their family will be restructured in a divorce, rather than letting a court decide. The parties and their attorneys also work together to resolve other divorce issues outside of the court. For instance, you and your spouse can agree to use the same appraiser, business valuation expert, financial planner and other experts as you divide your marital property.
Since the collaborative process is streamlined and does not use adversarial tactics, it often costs lower fees, and there is less emotional debris to clean up in the aftermath of the divorce decree. The collaborative process can also help parents avoid conflict and take the first steps toward more peaceful co-parenting as they navigate custody and visitation.
The Collaborative Advantage
When you choose to file for collaborative divorce in Minnesota, you and your spouse have the flexibility to settle your differences through collaborative law. During this process, each of you will have your own lawyer, who will represent you while you discuss your personal objectives in a private meeting room.
When you collaborate with the firm, Meinerts Law Office, P.A., attorney Merlyn Meinerts will offer:
- Personalized timeline: The firm schedules meetings when they work for you, which can give you the freedom to process your Dakota County divorce at your own pace.
- Protect your children: Attorney Meinerts prioritizes “peaceful co-parenting” from day one, ensuring that no one uses your children as bargaining chips during negotiations.
- Cost-efficient fees: Instead of hiring two separate business appraisers or child specialists, the collaborative process allows you and your spouse to share neutral experts, which can effectively lower your costs by half.
Through the collaborative process, you and your spouse can reach a fair divorce settlement agreement that effectively addresses your needs and individual interests.
The Difference Between Collaborative Divorce And Mediation
When looking at a collaborative divorce vs. mediation, there are certainly some similarities. In both cases, it is not a contested divorce and litigation won’t be necessary. The couple has agreed to work together and use alternative dispute resolution tactics. This keeps more of the decisions in their hands, and they have a greater level of control over the outcome of the divorce. But they do have to be able to work together to jointly make decisions about things like splitting up child custody or dividing marital assets.
When looking at your divorce options in Minnesota, however, it’s important to note that there is one key difference. With mediation, both spouses may sit down with a third-party neutral who acts as a mediator, providing legal guidance and helping them come to a solution.
With a collaborative divorce, however, both spouses will independently hire divorce attorneys. The goal is still to focus on cooperation, but each party has a lawyer who is representing them and who works with the other throughout this process. This is similar to litigation, where both parties would also have their own lawyer, but without the emphasis on conflict or contested decisions. The focus is still to work collaboratively and make mutual decisions.
What If Collaborative Divorce Does Not Work?
There are cases where a collaborative divorce won’t work. It’s not possible for all couples to go through this process, perhaps because of personal issues between them. For instance, if your ex blames you for the divorce and is angry about it, there could be a high level of conflict between the two of you and it won’t be possible to work together and make mutual decisions.
When you look at collaborative divorce failure rates, you can see that this does happen, but that doesn’t necessarily mean you can’t get divorced. It just means you may have to change to another tactic. It may be time to file an official divorce petition through the court system. For comparison, here are the key differences between the collaborative process and traditional litigation:
| Features | Collaborative Process | Traditional Litigation |
| Decision-making authority | You and your spouse | A judge |
| Privacy | Private meetings | Public courtroom records |
| Atmosphere | Solution-focused | Conflict-heavy |
| Experts | Shared experts (Less expensive) | Competing experts (Expensive) |
| Outcome | Custom-built for your respective needs and interests | Rigid legal standards |
By understanding the divorce process and taking time to weigh your options, you can choose the one that fits your situation and your family’s needs better.
Take The Conflict Out Of Your Divorce
You do not have to end your marriage the hard way. If you are ready to start the collaborative process or are simply curious about what this option can offer to you and your family, you may reach out to our experienced Burnsville divorce lawyer at 952-208-8500 or send us an email online.