Collaborative Family Law Solicitors

What is Collaborative Law?

Collaborative Law differs from Mediation in that each party has a legal advisor present at all meetings. Both parties have the benefit of legal advice throughout the process.

Both parties have their own collaboratively trained lawyer. All four of you work together in a series of face-to-face meetings and all commit to reaching solutions by agreement rather than through court. Face-to-face communication between the parties can help to reduce costs and enables you to better work together in the future.

Some benefits of the collaborative process are that you and your partner will have worked together to reach an agreement that works for your family. You have the support of your lawyers every step of the way and they can immediately prepare the necessary paperwork to finalise the agreement reached.

Other advisors can be brought into the process as and when they are needed – for example, independent financial advisors, accountants, valuers and family consultants who can help deal with the emotional aspect following the breakdown of a relationship.

Everyone signs

The agreement commits them to finding a solution without going to court. If the process does break down then each party has to find someone else to represent them. In that way, everyone has an interest in the process succeeding. Collaborative law helps avoid unnecessary rifts between parties through direct communication, and helps them to work together in the future, something which is particularly important when there are children involved, which they will continue to bring up together.

Once reached

Once an agreement is reached it can be embodied into a court order and because the lawyers have been a part of the whole process there is no need for the parties to have to seek advice elsewhere.

Effectively steering our clients through the upset, distress and acceptance of divorce is what we do. We have fully qualified collaborative lawyers and mediators, who are able to support you in reaching an agreement out of court on both children and financial issues.