What if I Want to Have an Attorney Help Me in a Collaborative Setting?

By Vivian L. Holley, JD, MA, CFLS, MFT

If you feel you need to engage an attorney so you will feel “safer” in the negotiation, perhaps because you are not sure your spouse will listen to you and your position, but you know you do not want to go to court to fight about money or the children, then Collaborative Law is a good alternative for you.  Because you are engaging at least two professionals to assist you, the expense will be greater than with mediation.  Often other professionals who charge less than attorneys, such as divorce financial planners, coaches, or child specialists are engaged to assist in the settlement or making a parenting plan. These professionals become part of a team. All professional team members sign a contract that they will not go to court or represent the clients in any subsequent litigation when utilizing a family lawyer.  Like with mediation, all information is provided voluntarily, and everything said is confidential and private.  This can be very important for couples who do not want anyone else to know about their lives or finances.

Your Collaborative Attorney has had special training so she/he does not negotiate with the aim that his/her client wins and the other loses.  Sometimes non-collaborative attorneys negotiate “cooperatively”, but that is a different model or process than Collaborative Law, here you will find one that is also specialized in medical cases.

The Law and Mediation Offices of Vivian L. Holley provides Collaborative Law services for those people who wish to have legal assistance negotiating either collaboratively or cooperatively the best settlement for the whole family without fighting their spouse in court.