Is a Friendly Divorce Possible?

Whether he was portraying the fast-talking Genie in "Aladdin," the cross-dressing nanny in "Mrs. Doubtfire" or the goofy doctor in "Patch Adams," Robin Williams has made a career out of delighting audiences with lovable characters. So, it’s heartening to read that he’s bringing that same warm spirit to divorce proceedings with estranged wife Marsha Garces Williams.

The couple, who were married for 19 years and have two teen children together, signed an official court document stating that they pledged to keep the divorce civil and to keep courtroom bickering to a minimum.

This sort of pledge is becoming more common with the rise in popularity of collaborative divorce, an alternative to traditional divorce proceedings in which the two parties meet as a team with their perspective lawyers in order to come to a mutual agreement about children and finances.

It was not reported whether or not the Williams’ would be following the official collaborative divorce model, but it was clear that they aim to keep things friendly. Do you think it’s possible for divorcing parties to set their own terms for separation, or is “civil court” truly an oxymoron? [People.com]