Thursday, April 8, 2010

Collaborative Law

We had our local practice group meeting yesterday. The practice group is made of lawyers, financial professionals and mental health professionals who work together on cases to help couples resolve the issues surrounding their divorce in a respectful and cooperative manner. The professionals work with the couple to help them make important decisions about dividing assets and debts, sharing time with their children, and resolving support matters.

Collaborative law involves a completely different mindset than a litigated or settled case. In a litigated case, someone usually wins or loses, but often the "baby is split in half" leaving neither party really satisfied. I am consistently amazed by the creative solutions that families reach in collaboration, when the goal is to honestly discuss the issues, provide all information needed to reach a mutual decision, and to commit that court is not an option for the family. There is no "gotcha" -- the parties and the professionals work as a team, in tandem, rather than with opposing agendas. The agenda -- helping the parties learn communication skills and find their own answers to these often thorny issues -- is one the entire team is seeking.

If you are considering separation or divorce, please see more information on this website.

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