Sheryl Friedrichs
5500 McNeely Drive
Raleigh, North Carolina 27612
United States
Raleigh, North Carolina 27612
United States
Office Phone: 919.836.8076
Member since 2011
Membership Type: IACP
Profession(s)
Lawyer Area(s) of Practice: Board Certified Family Law Specialist.
Certified Superior Court Mediator.
Certified Family Financial Mediator.
License(s): North Carolina State Bar 1998
Professional Activities
Member of the International Association of Collaborative Professionals, North Carolina Bar Association Charter member of Triangle Collaborative Divorce Professionals North Carolina Bar Association Family Law Section North Carolina Bar Association Dispute Resolution SectionUndergraduate Education
Bachelor of Arts from Belmont Abbey College
Professional Education
J.D. from North Carolina Central University School of Law
Comments
After litigating family law cases for more than nineteen years, I know about the costs inherent in going to court. The costs are considerable and go way beyond the monetary cost. In our particular geographic area, the time involved in litigating issues that arise when a marriage ends takes an average of eighteen months. That means that much longer times are not uncommon. I have had cases that drug out in court for three years before every issue was resolved. Clients typically expect that there will be one trial that will result in the judge deciding all of the issues -- child custody, child support, alimony, property division and attorney fees. That is not the reality. Each issue typically requires at least one trial, and generally at least two trials. Due to the overcrowding of the family court, the waiting period for an opportunity to appear in court is several months. All of this means that the parties spend an inordinate amount of time, money, physical energy and psychic energy on litigation. Added to those costs is the total lack of privacy. Family court cases are a part of the public record. Anyone can look at your court file and anyone can sit in and observer your trial. That means that the most private areas of your life - your finances and frequently your sex life - are available for public consumption. Do you really want that? Collaborative, on the other hand, is private. Nothing about your personal life becomes part of the public record. You are in control of the schedule. At each collaborative meeting, you will set the date for the next meeting based on each person's availability. A typical collaborative case is completed within six months.