Collaborative Law is one of the ways that provide an alternative to litigation in the courts to resolve family disputes and/or make arrangements about children, finances and other personal matters after separation or divorce. Mediation is the other principal form of alternative dispute resolution (“ADR”).
Collaborative law is well established in the US and Canada and first came to the UK in 2003. Since then many family solicitors have trained as collaborative lawyers organised by Resolution.
As in mediation, collaborative law is based on principled negotiations. In contrast to mediation, where both parties meet with one neutral mediator, however, in collaborative law, each has their own solicitor and issues are resolved in meetings of all four of them.