Collaborative Law

In the Collaborative process, the separating or divorcing couple:

• commits to resolving all issues arising out of the breakdown of their relationship out of court, through a series of roundtable meetings
• has the support of each person’s family solicitor at each meeting; the intention is for the couple to work with their collaborative lawyers and other professionals to find the right solution for the whole family, based upon shared needs and aspirations
• both disclose their financial circumstances within the process, normally by Form E, ensuring there is full financial disclosure
• is assisted by other professionals, where agreed in the process. This often involves a family consultant (a specially trained therapeutic professional), whose role includes providing emotional support or practical guidance on child issues and a financial neutral (a specially trained financial advisor), whose role is to assist in reality-testing options and assessing the financial implications of a proposed settlement.

Collaborative Law has many benefits

• It encourages and promotes ongoing co-operation, trust and communication between separating partners; this is critical, particularly where the separating or divorce couple have children
• By exploring a range of options (rather than the traditional positional approach to court proceedings), the separating couple can find a tailored solution which best suits the needs and aspirations of each person
• It avoids the uncertainty and considerable stress which court proceedings can entail
• It involves lawyers working together, rather than against one other, to assist you collaboratively in coming to an agreement
• It is a process through which a range of professional support can be accessed to achieve the optimum overall solution – both family consultancy (in relation to the emotional aspects of separation and how to manage issues relating to your children) and financial planning advice (through the involvement of the financial neutral)
• The process is better value for money than court proceedings and provides substantial additional value in building long-term solutions.