Collaborative Family Law
WHAT IT INVOLVES
Collaborative family law is a process in which the parties, their attorneys and mental health and financial specialists work together to resolve the problems that arise during a family breakup. Both parents are represented by his/her own collaborative attorney, who helps that parent identify his/her concerns and ensures that they are addressed in the collaborative process. When ready, the two attorneys and parents meet to review the needs that have arisen as a result of the family breakup and work together toward designing a plan that will best meet the needs of all family members.
My role in this process is to facilitate the communication between the parties. This may take the form of meetings with the parents to help craft a parenting plan; participating in 5-way meetings with the parents and attorneys to facilitate the agreement process; or meeting with one member of the family individually to assist him/her in dealing with feelings of fear, anger or distrust that threaten to interfere with their goals in the collaborative process.
Drawing upon the collaborative approach, the parties can maintain privacy in their negotiations and avoid costly, lengthy and painful court battles. In addition, the attorneys, parents and mental health professionals can be much more creative in designing unique plans that best address the family's needs. Using this approach, the parents are a vital part of the settlement team and they remain in control of the focus of the discussion and the final agreements.
HOW TO GET STARTED
I encourage couples or individuals to meet with me to become acquainted with the collaborative method and to discuss whether or not this approach is right for them. If they are already represented by counsel, we can invite their attorneys to utilize collaborative strategies to deal with the family breakup. If they are not represented by counsel, I will refer them to specially trained attorneys in the community who have expertise in this approach. Throughout the process I will remain involved and available to the couple and their family to ensure that effective communication is maintained by all parties and that any emotional roadblocks are addressed in a timely manner.
