Collaborative Law is a dispute resolution model where the parties agree to resolve their dispute without the economic and emotional expense of litigation. Collaborative practice encourages open communication to achieve an equitable and practical result. Working collaboratively, the parties have an opportunity to formulate creative solutions not available through conventional litigation. Clients who handle their cases collaboratively save significant time, money and emotional distress by avoiding hearings, discovery, depositions and trial. Collaborative practice also affords our clients greater privacy than a conventionally litigated case. Collaborative practice is generally the most cost effective, private and least contentious way to resolve a legal dispute.

Collaborative Law allows people with a personal dispute such as a divorce, custody action, parentage action, probate disagreement, (essentially any type of family law matter), to resolve the issues without excessive court intervention. Family law is the most emotionally painful type of legal dispute and often comes at a time when the parties can least afford the stress and expense of a court battle. Most family law matters require compromise. In a collaborative case the parties determine what those compromises will be. In a litigated case, the court decides, usually leaving both parties disappointed in the outcome, and having spent many thousands of dollars

Collaborative Law is an effective and private way to resolve civil legal disputes. It is particularly useful in business disputes, real estate and land use disputes, contract disputes, employment law and health care disputes. Almost any type of civil legal matter can be resolved with the Collaborative Law model. In many legal disputes the parties will have continuing business or personal relationships they want to preserve. Many business communities are small and no one wants their disagreement with a supplier or fellow business leader to become the “talk of the town”. If the disagreement is with a neighbor or nearby land-owner, a long-term feud could impact personal peace and privacy for years to come.

By agreeing at the beginning to work toward a negotiated agreement without court intervention, parties are able to keep their legal dispute out of the public eye, coming out of the process with their privacy intact and with a workable agreement that allows them to move forward without long term damage to their business or personal relationships.

Agreed settlements create win/win outcomes.