Collaborative law is a valuable alternative to court. It involves you, your ex and your lawyers reaching an agreement together about your divorce or separation through a series of meetings.
In the collaborative law process, you and your ex negotiate an agreement about your divorce or separation. You will be supported by specially trained collaborative lawyers.
Collaborative law is a non-confrontational approach to resolving the issues that arise when a relationship breaks down. This could be about your divorce, sorting out your financial arrangements or agreeing how you will co-parent your children in the future.
You and your ex work together with your specially trained collaborative lawyers to resolve issues and agree terms for your divorce or separation through a series of face-to-face meetings.
An important feature is that you sign an agreement at the start (a participation agreement) that commits everyone to using the collaborative process to achieve an agreement. If the negotiations break down and you need to go to court to sort out your finances or the arrangements for your children, you will need to instruct new lawyers because the agreement prevents your collaborative lawyers continuing to represent you. This provides an incentive for everyone, including your lawyers, to find a solution.