Is it for you?

The Collaborative Law process could work well for you if:

• both of you are determined to behave in a respectful, ethical manner toward one another in working out the terms of your family dispute.
• both of you value a negotiated solution that meets the legitimate needs of each of you after the current dispute is over.
• both of you will commit your intelligence and energy toward creative problem-solving rather than toward recriminations or revenge.

If you and your spouse meet this profile and participate energetically in the collaborative process, you will probably:

• produce an agreement better tailored to your own unique needs.
• find the process more engaging, more informative, and less stressful than other methods of resolving a family dispute.

Is Collaborative Law the right choice?
The alternative dispute resolution process called Collaborative Law brings many advantages. For instance:

• …both parties have skilled advisors at every stage of the process who understand how to forge creative settlements. You are never on your own; your counsel is at your side, explaining issues and helping to achieve goals by mutual participation and agreement.
• …everyone in the process agrees in advance to work only toward a settlement meeting the main priorities of both parties, which is in the best interest of the post-dispute family. Litigation is never threatened; game-playing and taking advantage are not permitted.
• …the lawyers share with their clients a financial incentive to make the collaborative process work. The lawyers have not succeeded unless they help you create a win-win situation. They are out of a job if the process breaks down.
• …the collaborative lawyers are concerned about process as well as outcome.
• …the opposing counsel and the opposing party are treated as vital parts of the settlement team, not adversaries.