COLLABORATIVE FAMILY LAW

Want a better way to resolve your family law matter? Have you considered collaborative family law?

Collaborative law, simply put is a form of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) of your family law matter that is aimed at upholding fairness, respect, and integrity between the parties. It is mainly a collaborative approach for you and your partner to resolve all your issues.

This form of collaboration requires the parties to each engage family lawyers who are specialized in the collaborative process to help them settle the issues resulting from a breakdown of the marriage outside of the court.

Once the parties have agreed to enter into this process and avoid lengthy and costly litigation, they will engage in negotiations after signing a Collaborative Agreement which states that the parties will agree not to go through the court process.

What is special about choosing the collaborative approach is that is it is aimed at keeping parties and their families intact and developing a process of working together to achieve common goals.

The most notable benefits of collaborative law are:

• 1. It is cost-effective and efficient, as the parties avoid time-consuming processes and the unpredictable nature of litigation.
• 2. It allows parties with unique needs and circumstances to achieve solutions that are uniquely customized to them.
• 3. It allows the parties to also work in combination with additional experts and professionals to assist in resolving disputes such as family professionals (therapist), financial experts, parenting coaches, etc.
• 4. It allows parties to obtain a mutually beneficial result while minimizing conflict between the parties as well as any children involved.
• 5. It helps the parties have control over the process versus leaving decisions in the hands of the court.
• 6. It allows parties to maintain privacy as otherwise through the court process since private details are not published as a matter of public record.

As part of the collaborative process, we will meet with you to determine your goals and objectives and guide you through the process in achieving the best collaborative resolution to your family law matter.

In a nutshell, how the collaborative law process works:

• Once you choose that you want to pursue the collaborative route, both spouses will then hire their own collaborative lawyer to guide them throughout the process;
• The parties and their lawyers decide not to pursue the court process in writing;
• The parties will meet with their lawyers privately;
• The parties and their lawyers may decide which additional experts may need to join the process such as a separation coach, child specialists, financial experts etc.; and
• The parties and their lawyers will engage in negotiations and mutual problem solving to lead to a final resolution on all issues.