Collaborative Practice (or Collaborative Law) is a new way for you to resolve disputes respectfully—without litigation—while working with trained professionals who knowledgeable about all aspects of a dispute. Collaborative Practice is a cooperative, voluntary conflict resolution process. The heart of Collaborative Practice is to offer both parties in a dispute the support, protection, and guidance of your own lawyers and other professionals without going to court. Additionally, in divorce cases, Collaborative Practice allows you the benefit of child and financial specialists, divorce coaches and other professionals all working together on your team.
Collaborative Practice is different from a traditional court settlement. Litigation, by its very nature, is adversarial and combative. Litigation results in the parties and their attorneys focusing on getting the best of each other. The results of litigation are often negative and far-reaching, particularly when children are involved. Collaborative Practice emphasizes both parties working together with Collaborative Practice professionals to create a mutually advantageous solution. It places the decision-making power with the parties (who have the best understanding of their specific issues) instead of the courts and a judge (who make decisions with a minimal understanding about the parties and their desires regarding children and other important issues).
In Collaborative Practice, you will enter into a contractual agreement, which includes:
Collaborative Practice allows both parties to work together to develop custom solutions for their specific issues. The Collaborative Practice approach seeks to achieve a fair settlement for both parties, minimizing both financial damage and damage to the relationships between the parties.
