Collaborative Law

Clients who opt for collaborative, mediated dispute resolution find that they are able to address their particular needs. Once they remove highly-emotional conflict from the picture, they can work with the other side of the dispute to find the solutions that best addresses their family’s situation. After all, no one understands the situation better than those directly involved. Throughout the process, our collaborative family law attorneys provide information and guidance, helping you and your spouse become more informed to build mutually beneficially solutions. 

The process typically begins with each client meeting with his or hers respective attorney. From there, the two qualified collaborative family law attorneys meet to lay out the ground work for the case and ongoing meetings between the two parties. At the first meeting, clients and attorneys sign the Collaborative Participation Agreement, which is an enforceable binding contract. The team then continues to meet until full resolution has been reached on all issues. Once a plan is in place, a final judgment is drafted and filed with the court. Although the collaborative law method is most popular for divorce matters, it can also be applied to many other family legal matters such as custody and parenting time issues, child support, domestic partnership or prenuptial agreements, grandparent rights, same-sex marriage issues and more.  

Mediation is also one of many methods our attorneys use to develop a solution to the financial, custody, parenting time and support issues facing divorcing couples. Our attorneys can help in a number of ways, including preparing the client who wants to mediate without attorneys present, or accompanying the client who wants the skill and knowledge of an attorney by his or her side during the mediation. In addition, we can review agreements achieved through unrepresented mediation to see if they are fair and appropriate.