Collaborative Law is a new way of handling family law matters whereby the couple and their attorneys agree to work cooperatively together in resolving the issues using problem-solving strategies rather than adversarial approaches and litigation. The heart of Collaborative Law is the belief shared by the couple and their attorneys, that it is in their best interest and in the best interest of the family to resolve differences with minimal conflict and without going to court.

Through Collaborative Law, the parties are in effect, hiring the attorneys to assist them in working out a settlement they both agree they can live with. The agreement is reached using many of the principles of mediation, such as open and honest negotiation, transparency and self determination by the parties. The collaborative law attorney is trained in negotiation skills, conflict resolution and basic psychological theory. The goal of the collaborative law attorneys is to reach a fair result that meets the parties’ needs and concerns while also providing the legal advice needed to enter into a binding agreement.