Collaborative law is a form of dispute resolution in which the parties and their lawyers commit to work cooperatively to reach a settlement. Participants focus on the interests of both clients, gather sufficient information to insure that decisions are made with full knowledge, develop a full range of options, and then choose options that best meet the needs of the parties. The parties develop a mutually acceptable written resolution of all issues without court intervention. The agreement is then submitted to the court with a Final Judgment approving that agreement, making any litigation uncontested. The collaborative process creates a problem solving atmosphere with a focus on interest based negotiation and client empowerment.

Collaborative Law is an innovative method of practicing law. Designed to lead to win-win resolution of difficult processes such as divorce, all sides pledge to work in a non-hostile manner. Both parties and attorneys on both sides must agree at the onset that the issues will be resolved in a collaborative manner rather than contested.

When attorneys trained in collaborative law and their clients agree at the beginning of work on a case to work to resolve disputes in a non-adversarial manner, their clients are saved from additional emotional distress and reduction or depletion of financial resources. All parties are treated with dignity and respect during the process. This leads to more cordial relationships among the parties in the future. This is particularly important in cases involving children, such as custody disputes.

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