These lawyers are specially trained in negotiation and conflict resolution skills that help their client move beyond emotional positions to reach a divorce settlement.

Collaborative Attorneys are committed to reaching agreement on all aspects of their divorce without going to court. This “no court” rule paves the way for an amicable settlement by eliminating the costly discovery requests, unnecessary court hearings, delays, and emotional posturing that often arise during adversarial litigation.

A surprising is that fewer than 10% of family law cases are decided in front of a judge — most of the time, cases settle out of court. Collaborative Attorneys know that it is better to provide information, perspective, and support for clients to make informed decisions in their own best interest, rather than spending time and money preparing for litigation.

How does it work?

Each party chooses their own Collaborative Attorney. Every professional works a bit differently, but generally, the client and attorney first meet for an initial consultation session to discuss issues and concerns for the divorce/separation, retainer and fees, and the Collaborative Participation Agreement. The next step may be scheduling a “four-way” meeting for both attorneys and clients to begin making decisions to resolve the case. Other times, the clients will be asked to contact a Divorce Coach or Financial Specialist to bring their unique expertise onto the team.

Read more about how Collaborative Divorce works.

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