The Collaborative Law Process

Each party still has his or her lawyer and the job of that lawyer is to assist the client in settling the contested issues outside of court. The parties each agree that they will provide full, honest, and open disclosure of all information relevant to the proceedings. And, very importantly, they agree that their attorney’s representation is limited to the collaborative divorce process and that neither of the attorneys can ever represent them in a court proceeding against the other spouse. This encourages both parties to remain committed to the process, even when dealing with the tougher issues since this agreement eliminates the easy fallback position of letting a judge decide. Collaborative Law thereby creates an emphasis on finding workable solutions that are acceptable to both parties.