Overview

Collaborative Family Law – the good divorce.  You can resolve family disputes around a table with your lawyers, secure in the knowledge that court is not an option, you will all work it out together.

A Collaborative Law divorce starts with a meeting where the couple explains their  hopes and fears – the central objectives that are vital to them. These are called Anchor Statements and help everyone focus on what is important as discussions go forward.  The entire focus is on understanding, respect, trust and the search for fair and workable solutions and achieving the best possible outcome for the family, without the stress, delays and expense of contested proceedings.

Everything is discussed at a series of four-way meetings – you and your specially trained collaborative lawyers.  Everyone signs a participation agreement ruling out court and making a commitment to good faith and constructive negotiations, with any children at the heart of the discussions.  If the process breaks down, the collaborative lawyers are disbarred from representing you – this helps hold everyone in the process to sort things out.  At the end a Consent Order is drawn up by the lawyers and everything is made binding and implemented – and you have your divorce settlement.

Collaborative Family Law is not suitable for every case and you can discuss this with your Collaborative Lawyer.  Occasionally it breaks down. When this happens you have to change lawyers.  This would be the case in any event – even if Focus delivered legal services such as court proceedings, which it does not.

All Focus Collaborative Lawyers either are or have been experienced family lawyers in private practice as solicitors for many years.  Some have now given up their practice as such in favour of becoming even more specialised as experts in ADR, including Collaborative practise.  Our Collaborative Lawyers are members of Resolution.