Starting a family law court case to resolve your legal issues is not your only option. There are out-of-court options available, called Alternative Dispute Resolutions (ADRs) that can assist you and your spouse resolve legal issues without the considerable time and expense of going to court.
There are many ADR options available, such as negotiation, collaborative family law, mediation, arbitration, and parenting coordination.
Collaborative family law, also called collaborative practice, is an alternative dispute resolution process where you and your partner work together to resolve your legal issues out of court with the help of a collaborative family team. You will each have your own independent lawyer to represent your interests, but the objective of both lawyers will be settlement and resolution rather than always taking sides. You may also work with other collaborative professionals, such as financial and family professionals.
Collaborative practice is an out-of-court process that addresses the emotional, financial, and legal issues that arise from separation and divorce. It is a process that is settlement-focused and interest-based and does not encourage on-going argument and disputes.
Why chose collaborative practice?
Collaborative practice is a voluntary process. There are many benefits of collaborative practice, including:
- Respectful communication and full transparency
- Minimized conflict and adversity while maximizing the opportunity of settlement
- The additional team members may result in lower total costs, as financial and family professionals contribute their specialized expertise
- Customized solutions that consider the priorities of both spouses and children
- Guidance through settlement negotiations by your lawyers with the assistance of family and financial professionals who will focus on your goals and priorities
- Most importantly, you and your spouse maintain control of the process and the outcome, without the need to attend court
You and your partner will each need to retain your own collaborative family law lawyer. Collaborative family lawyers have special training in interest-based negotiations.
To learn more, please communicate with any member of our Family Law Team.