Collaborative Practice is a voluntary dispute resolution process in which parties settle without resort to litigation.

Collaborative Practice provides you and your spouse or partner with the support and guidance of your own lawyers without going to court. Additionally, Collaborative Practice allows you the option to have the benefit of experts such as child and financial specialists all working together with you on your team.  The collaborative process can be used to negotiate issues which include property and/or children issues.

Each party appoints their own collaboratively trained lawyer and the parties and their lawyers all meet together to try and work things out face to face.  Both parties will have their lawyer by their sides throughout the process and so you will have their support and legal advice as you go.

In Collaborative Practice:

1. The parties sign a collaborative participation agreement describing the nature and scope of the matter;

2. The parties voluntarily disclose all information which is relevant and material to the matter that must be decided;

3. The parties agree to use good faith efforts in their negotiations to reach a mutually acceptable settlement;

4. Each party must be represented by a lawyer whose representation terminates upon the undertaking of any contested court proceeding;

5. The parties may engage mental health and financial professionals whose engagement terminates upon the undertaking of any contested court proceeding; and

6. The parties may jointly engage other experts as needed.