Collaborative Law
Collaborative Law is a relatively new process that often provides the best means of resolving Family Law disputes. It is often used in divorces, but is also appropriate for pre-marital agreements, paternity issues, child support, relocation (the primary custodian wanting to move away) and issues about how to raise children and share time with them.
Collaborative Law is an organized process that helps the parties creatively meet their needs and solve problems. The process focuses on the major goals and needs of each party and is not limited by the ways a court or someone’s friends have done things in prior cases. It is a safe, private and client-controlled process. When needed, we bring in neutral experts to help both parties work out financial issues, including tax consequences, and resolve child issues.
In Collaborative cases, we focus on creative possibilities and do not allow “the law” to limit our options. We are free to invent new solutions and avoid the arbitrary imposition of “standard” guidelines or rules. We are also free to consider the law from other states just as much as our Texas statutes.
Since Collaborative Law is a pretty new process, often the biggest obstacle to using it is not having a Collaborative-trained attorney representing the other spouse. Each party must hire a Collaborative attorney, and we can provide a list of good ones available locally. It is very important to share that information with the other party before he/she hires an attorney.
Following this are some frequently asked questions about Collaborative Law and some documents and forms that are customized and used in Collaborative cases. We also explain steps we follow in problem solving and we give tips for starting a Collaborative case. Additional information is available through the websites of the Collaborative Lawyers of Tarrant County (CLTC); the Collaborative Law Institute of Texas (CLI-Tx); and the International Academy of Collaborative Professionals (IACP).