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	Collaborative Family Law
	Couples whose marriages are in trouble face many difficult decisions, all of which have the potential for serious consequences. Some of these may be:
			Is this marriage worth saving?
			Will the children be harmed?
			What will be the ramifications of our divorce?
			How deeply will it alter our life?
	You may also feel:
			Ambivalent about ending the relationship
			You are the most hurt, misunderstood, damaged, or least powerful person in the relationship
			Your partner is using the myriad of divorce counterplays as a way to stay married
			Intimidated by your partner in addressing and resolving complex and difficult issues
			We would have a great divorce if it weren't for the other party
			The divorce is your last chance to destroy the other party
	Now there is a completely new way to handle legal disputes...
	Collaborative Family Law uses lawyers, divorce coaches, child specialists and financial consultants to solve family disputes without adversarial techniques or tactics. It is based on principles of being proactive and seeking to first understand, and then to be understood. It uses a cooperative model of negotiation and neutral experts, as indicated, to resolve conflict.
	How Does Collaborative Family Law Work?
	As in traditional family law/divorce cases, your lawyer supports you and your spouse's lawyer supports your spouse. But in collaborative family law, both lawyers must also practice collaborative law. Collaborative Family Law attorneys utilize an interdisciplinary network of professionals to provide expertise and advice as needed on issues relevant to the ultimate settlement of the case. Before the process begins, all the participants -- lawyers and clients -- formally contract to work together to resolve your divorce issues. Both lawyers pledge not to take the case to court. To reach a settlement using collaborative family law, the lawyers initiate four-way meetings between themselves and their clients. When indicated, other professionals, such as therapists and financial experts, are involved in the process. The meetings promote improved communication and cooperation -- and nourish an environment that fosters analysis and reasoning. This helps generate options and creates a positive context for settlement while giving both parties control over the outcome. The commitment to continued cooperation -- even if communication becomes difficult -- also increases the likelihood of a solution where everybody wins. While no two divorces are alike, Collaborative Family Law focuses on finding a way in which divorce professionals can work with the parties in a manner that will achieve a more than satisfactory settlement in an efficient, cooperative manner. This can be achieved by having the parties be a part of settlement conferences where the clients meet with their divorce professionals to work on the settlement. The interdisciplinary network of divorce professionals are committed to finding creative ways to achieve and implement a settlement that will be best for the case. The philosophy of the collaborative family lawyer is to expend as much time and energy on settlement, parenting plans, financial analysis, and psychological counseling as is traditionally spent in preparation for trial.
	Advantages:
			Lower Cost
			Client Involvement
			Supportive Approach
			Less Stress Win-Win Climate
			Speed
			Creativity
			Clients in Charge



	Collaborative Family Law utilizes Interdisciplinary Team Members, as needed, in a coordinated effort to assist you in reaching a timely and cost-effective settlement of all issues. Members may include:
			Collaborative Lawyers — provide skilled family law representation, incorporating effective use of team members, when needed, to help resolve legal issues.
			Financial Consultants — gather and share pertinent financial information which promotes informed financial decisions leading to settlement and optimal division of assets.
			Child Specialists — provide children with an opportunity to express their concerns while providing parents with information to assist them in developing a co-parenting plan and adjustment to divorce.
			Divorce Coaches — work with divorcing couples to help defuse highly charged emotional issues and develop co-parenting strategies and plans.
			Mediators — provide neutral intervention to facilitate negotiations between the parties when they might otherwise be stuck.
	Further information on Collaborative Law: Why Collaborative Law? Collaborative Law Principles FAQ