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Collaborative Law

Collaborative Law is a process used to resolve disputes without the need for lengthy Court proceedings.

Under the Collaborative process each person appoints their own collaboratively trained lawyer and we all meet together to try and work things out face to face.  Both of you will have your Solicitor by your side throughout the process and have support and legal advice.

What is different about Collaborative Law?

Under the collaborative law process each Solicitor signs an agreement that commits everybody to try and resolve issues without going to Court and prevents the Solicitors from representing you in Court. This is the glue that holds the process together as everybody involved is absolutely committed to finding the best solutions by agreement rather than through the Court process.

When relationships breakdown, bitterness and anger are often extremely strong feelings and it can be difficult to move past them.  In almost every case, the very best solution for anybody involved in a family law issue is a resolution that has been worked out by you and your ex-partner together.  This is what collaborative law is all about.  It is about reaching solutions together to ease the pain of family breakdown.

Traditionally, when people split up they take independent advice from lawyers and try and reach an agreement of how to settle their differences.  They work out how to share assets and responsibilities for the children.  Collaborative is an alternative in which you and your former partner sit down in the same room. Rather than dealing through your Solicitors you work with them to reach the best solutions for you and your family.  We often recommend other professionals in the process to help reach agreement such as financial advisors or life coaches.

In order for collaborative law to work there needs to be a genuine desire to reach an agreement that is fair for the whole family.  There needs to be a willingness to work together and honestly provide all information about all assets and there needs to be a commitment in reaching a solution without going to Court.

Collaborative has been a sensation throughout many different legal systems.  It is so successful because you still benefit from having your own independent Legal Advisor so that you are in control of the process without the threat of Court proceedings hanging over you.  This allows you to set the agenda and talk about the things that matter to you most.  Solicitors regularly try and pigeon hole you and make assumptions as to what is important to you and collaborative law is a fantastic way of making sure that the things that are most important to you get dealt with in the right way.

Collaborative law also means that you maintain contact with your former partner and that way you have the best chance of understanding each other and finding the right solutions.  If children are involved, both of you will remain parents and it will help your children to cope better with your separation if they see that you are working together most importantly you make the decisions rather than a Judge.