Collaborative Practice is a new way for you to resolve your family law issues in a fair and respectful process, without going to court. This new model offers hope to men and women who want healthier resolutions to their divorce and other family law issues.
Collaborative Practice is a better and more effective way you to resolve your family law issues. In addition to NOT going to court, this process offers new options to individuals who want a healthier and less contentious way to achieve resolutions to their divorce and other family law issues. When the Collaborative Process is used, you can avoid the hostile and adversarial positioning that takes place in court. The Collaborative Procee also gives you opportunity to use specialists in parenting and financial solutions, which can greatly assist in reaching agreements. Collaborative law is a process which helps you an the other party explore various options which fit your needs and your family, without going to court where your success is based on aggressive positioning against each other and the decisions are made by a Judge and not you.
The couple has the option of starting their separation/divorce with the professional with whom they feel most comfortable. With help and recommendations, they then choose the other professionals they will need on their team.
Once the team is assembled, clients can expect the professionals to work together in close communication, strategizing along the way as to the best ways to address the issues in need of resolution. Clients find that agreements that they come to together with the help of their professionals are much more likely to hold up over time and during practical usage. This is because they have invested their energy and ideas during respectful dialogue into understanding each other's needs and their children’s needs together.
Collaborative Divorce is distinguished from traditional litigation by its inviolable core elements. These elements are set out in a contractual commitment among the clients and their chosen collaborative professionals to:
- negotiate a mutually acceptable settlement without using court to decide any issues
- engage in full disclosure of all financial information
- listen to one another and negotiate in good faith and respect
- commit to give primacy to the children's needs, when there are children involved.
Collaborative Divorce is particularly satisfying for clients who wish to preserve the family relationships in as respectful and honorable a way as possible, restructuring rather than dissolving the family. Clients can be assisted to cooperate as much as possible, even during a very stressful time, and children’s needs can be addressed sensitively and personally. |
