Collaborative Law

Collaborative Law is the new non-contractual alternative to going to court. It is the name given to a co-operative approach between solicitors and clients who work with each other to resolve the difficulties that arise from relationship breakdown.

The breakdown of a relationship is never easy and avoiding the adversarial approach helps protect family members from the worst effects of a relationship's breakdown. This approach also helps keep costs down, which in turn lessens the financial and emotional impact on all the family.

Collaborative Law involves the family members and their lawyers making an agreement to sit down together and find a way to reach a mutually acceptable way forward without having to go to court.

The process itself involves a number of four way meetings between the family members and their legal representatives. It is decided what needs to be resolved and these issues are then worked on until a logical conclusion is reached. Collaborative lawyers have all undertaken specialist training to help them facilitate this process.

This method can be used to resolve all aspects of the relationship breakdown, including the division of assets and income and the future care of the children.

The agreement made between the family members and the legal representatives from the start makes it fundamental that none of the family members withdraw from the Collaborative Law process. If they do then they must each find new legal representatives.

By using the Collaborative Law methods it is hoped that more creative solutions tailored to your family's circumstances can be found. This in turn should help preserve family relationships.

Once everyone is in agreement the legal representatives will draw up a formal document which will be submitted to the court for approval and then made into a binding order.

For further information on this process contact Clare Cain on 01908 201200 or clare@adamsmoore.net or Bharti Rana on 01582 481555 or Bharti@adamsmoore.net