The collaborative family law process is a relatively new way of dealing with family disputes.
In the collaborative process each person appoints their own lawyer but instead of conducting negotiations between you and your partner by letter or phone you and your lawyers all meet together to work things out face to face.
Your lawyer will be with you throughout the process and so you will have the benefit of your lawyer’s support and legal advice as you go along.
All collaborative lawyers must be specially trained to carry out the collaborative process and that training is undertaken by Resolution. Resolution is the specialist body for family solicitors in England and Wales.
An important part of the collaborative process is that collaborative lawyers sign an agreement with you that disqualifies them from representing you in Court if the collaborative process breaks down. Both you and your partner and both lawyers sign this agreement. If one of you goes to Court then both lawyers must cease to act for you.
The meetings, often called four way meetings, will take place usually in your lawyers offices. Sometimes only a couple of meetings are needed, on other occasions it may be four or five. The agenda followed at these meetings will be set by you and your former partner.
Once an agreement is reached your lawyers can put it into effect, if it needs to be made into a Court Order your lawyers can do that for you.
PDFs and Word documents
- Protocol for International Collaborative Proceedings
- Protocol for Disclosure in Collaborative Cases
- Protocol for Pre/Post-marital Agreements
Particpation Agreements
- Participation Agreement to co-operate in settling family disputes (no children)
- Participation Agreement to co-operate in settling family disputes (with children)
- Participation Agreement to co-operate in reaching a pre-marital agreement (no children)
- Participation Agreement to co-operate in reaching a pre-marital agreement (with children)
- Participation Agreement to co-operate in reaching a co-habitation agreement (no children)
- Participation Agreement to co-operate in reaching a co-habitation agreement (with children)
