Family Lawyers London
As people are looking for more amicable and less expensive methods of dispute resolution, the collaborative process is becoming a more popular way to settle disagreements.
Both parties still retain a suitable experienced Family Law solicitor to represent them, so they will receive the appropriate legal advice throughout the process. However, instead of all the negotiations taking place by letter or on the phone, the collaborative process requires both parties and their solicitors to try and reach a settlement through a number of face to face meetings.
Although this can be effective in many cases, in some situations this collaborative process might not be the best course of action. The team of collaborative solicitors at our Family Lawyers London office will be able to advise you whether this approach would suit your particular circumstances.
The aim of the collaborative approach is to avoid the need to have the matter resolved by the court. In fact, in the very first meeting, both parties and their solicitors will be expected to sign an agreement acknowledging their commitment to reaching an agreement without going to court.
The Collaborative Process
The solicitor for each party will meet with their clients and talk about what they can expect to achieve from the process and what will happen at the meetings, the first of which will then be arranged. At the meeting, after everyone has acknowledged the commitment to reaching an agreement without involving the courts, each side gets to explain what they want to get from the process. Certain guidelines regarding information sharing will be established and the agenda for the next meeting is set.
The subsequent meetings are focussed on dispute resolution and reaching a settlement. The greater the difference in the end goals of both parties and the more complex the issue being disputed, the more likely it is that several meetings will be needed. In some cases these meeting might require the attendance of an independent specialist. For example if the dispute is about money or a child custody issue, experts from these areas of Family Law can help to keep the process on track.
The final meeting in the process is where both parties sign documents that detail the agreement that has been reached and, where possible, put in place a schedule for implementing whatever has been agreed.
By choosing the collaborative approach, partners can usually find that the whole process is more civil, less stressful, and in many cases, much quicker and less expensive than when a dispute needs to be decided by the courts.
If you are dealing with a Family Law issue and want to find out more about the collaborative approach, specially trained collaborative solicitors in our Family Lawyers London offices will be able to provide you with the advice and assistance you need.