When parties are going through a divorce proceeding that is contested, the reality is court appearances are likely going to happen. For some parties, they might have to appear at a courthouse multiple times in a contested case.

In contested divorce cases, there are often preliminary court dates like pre-trial conferences, status conferences, adjourn dockets, settlement conferences. There can also be hearing and/or trial dates where the case does not settle.

For some parties, the thought of walking in and out of the courthouse can cause stress. Maybe people they know will see them? Maybe people will ask why they are in court.

For a lot of parties, the thought of being seen in court can be quite embarrassing. For many, it can cause stress to have to explain to people they know that they are going through a divorce.

One big positive of collaborative divorce is that court appearances are usually not necessary. If the case settles in the collaborative process, the parties might not ever have to go to the courthouse.

In many jurisdictions, if the parties can settle outside of court, the case can be submitted on affidavits. The judge can then sign off on the divorce without the parties ever having to go to court.

This can allow parties to quietly resolve their divorce case in a private manner. This privacy can give lots of parties quite a bit of piece of mind.

For those interested in keeping your divorce private, they ought to consider a collaborative divorce.  The privacy that is offered is a plus for many.