Collaborative Law

We can work this out

Talking to each other during the breakdown of a relationship can seem the hardest thing to do. Anger, hurt and bitterness are often the strongest feelings.

However, often the best solutions are those which you can work out for yourselves, and in which everyone involved can share.

Collaborative Law is simply about reaching solutions together to try and ease the pain of the breakdown of the relationship, and hopefully, create a better chance of having a brighter future.

If a traditional divorce path is followed, then both parties will seek their own independent legal advice from specialist lawyers. They work through their lawyers and try to reach an agreement on how best to settle their differences. They work out how to share their assets and responsibilities as they go their separate ways.

Lawyers help couples to reach these agreements and where they don’t, it is left to the Court to decide, leading to uncertainty and often more problems.

So, imagine an alternative, you and your partner sitting down and with the help of your own specially trained Collaborative Lawyers, together in the same room, you work things out. Rather than dealing through your lawyer, you work with them to reach the best solution for you and your family.

It may seem straightforward but, in order for it to work, it needs the parties to be in the right frame of mind:

• A genuine desire to make it work.
• The willingness to disclose, fully and honestly information about all assets.
• Skilled lawyers who are practised in working in the new collaborative way.
• An agreement that you will reach a solution without going to Court.

How can it be successful

You still have the benefit of having your own legal advice but you are in control without the threat of Court proceeding over you.

You set the agenda so that you talk about what matters the most. i.e. the family.

You set the pace – as dates are not set down by the Courts.

You maintain contact with your former partner. This way, ensuring that you have the best understanding of what each other wishes to achieve and finding the right solutions.

Also remember that if you have children, you both still remain the parents and it will help your children cope better if they see that you are working together.

The most important decisions about your future are in your hands – you decide as they are not made by a Court.

The collaborative approach is fundamentally changing the way that people think about family law.

For couples who genuinely seek a fair solution and want to try to minimise the pain of the breakdown of the family, it may offer the very best way forward.

Collaborative Lawyers also sign an agreement with you, this then disqualifies them from representing you at Court if the collaborative process breaks down. That means that they are absolutely committed to helping you to find the best solutions by agreement rather than through conflict.