Collaborative Law - An Alternative to Court

You may not have heard of the Collaborative approach for resolving disputes upon separation or divorce.

One of the main aims of the Collaborative approach is to resolve family disputes without going to Court. Each person appoints their own Collaboratively trained lawyer and all issues are discussed and resolved in meetings with both you and your lawyers present. These are called "four way" meetings.

At the start of the Collaborative process, both you and your former partner sign an agreement (called a Participation Agreement) to commit to not going to Court.

The process is guided by you, at your pace, and your lawyers will give legal advice at any point before, during or after the four-way meetings.

On your divorce or separation, you might need the assistance of other professionals, for example an Independent Financial Adviser or a pension expert or an accountant in relation to the value of a business. Our non-lawyer members can join a four-way meeting at your request to provide mutual advice to assist your negotiations.