What is Collaborative Law?
When you think of a divorce or custody case, you probably think of a contentious courtroom drama. However, there is a lesser-known, family-centric process to resolve divorce and/or custody. This process is known as Collaborative Law.
What Is Collaborative Law?
The Collaborative Law process is a multidisciplinary approach that utilizes professionals in relevant areas such as law, accounting/finance, and psychology/social work to consult with clients on various objectives and outcomes. The Collaborative process is party-focused with professionals offering advice and the parties making the decision. This process is intended to help alleviate any anger and resentment between parties and facilitate a positive, healthy relationship following the divorce. The professionals and parties work collaboratively to achieve the goals of the family.
How Does Collaborative Law Work?
Many think of the first step in divorce or custody as filing and serving “papers,” aka initiating a lawsuit against your spouse/partner. In Collaborative Law, your case is kept out of the courtroom. Rather, the first step in Collaborative Law is to establish your goals and interests with your attorney. These goals and interests will guide the process and ultimately help you reach a resolution in line with those goals and interests. In the beginning, you and your attorney will determine which professionals can assist with your matter, including, if applicable, a parent coach and a financial neutral. A parent coach is a mental health professional who will help you execute a parenting plan that is in the best interests of your child(ren) and your family. A financial neutral is a certified financial professional that aids you in reaching an agreement on the division of your assets and property. The process develops through a series of meetings with the coaches, your attorney, and the team. Team meetings consist of all professionals and parties and is a forum designed to facilitate transparency between the parties and promote open discussion on issues and options with professional guidance. The process ultimately concludes with the execution of a global agreement made for and by you.
Why Choose Collaborative Law
The family court system is designed to be adversarial. As such, divorce/custody litigation is painful, destructive, and costly to families. Collaborative Law circumvents the adversarial process and helps families remain whole and resolve their divorce/custody matter with their interests at the forefront. By working with professionals in various disciplines, you are well-equipped with the resources and information to make the best decision for your family. Unlike in Collaborative Law, in litigation, a judge, who has limited information on you and your family, would make those decisions for you.
Our attorneys are trained and experienced in Collaborative Law, so if you are interested in engaging this process, please contact us at 240-396-4373 and we are ready to assist you.
