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What is it?
Collaborative family law provides you and your partner with a flexible, team-based approach to resolving your dispute without going to Court.
Your team may also include child and financial specialists as well as your trained collaborative lawyer to assist you in reaching a balanced, respectful and long-term agreement. It empowers you and your partner to settle your dispute with the guidance of your teams and without having important life decisions made for you by a Court.
You, your partner and your collaborative lawyers sign contracts to negotiate in good faith without resorting to litigation. Most of the work is done in four-way meetings.
Everyone agrees to work with each other, not against each other, and to promote openness, honesty and transparency in order to reach agreement.
You and your partner are in control of the process including how often meetings are held and which professionals are involved. Collaborative law is often very effective and has a high success rate for these reasons.
If the dispute is unable to be resolved by negotiation, the lawyers will withdraw and will not act for either of you in any future litigation.
If any of the following are important to you, collaborative family law may be of interest:
- I want us to be respectful when we communicate with each other.
- I want us to put the needs of our children first.
- I believe that working together resolves issues.
- I will listen objectively to my partner and believe that their needs are equally important as mine.
- It’s important to plan ahead for the future and not be sidetracked by the pain of the past.
- I choose to maintain control of the separation with my partner, and not leave it up to the Courts.
- I want to save our money by reaching an agreement, and not spend it all on going to Court.
- In addition to being collaborative lawyers, Russo & Russo have an association with Melbourne Collaborative Alliance providing you with access to other collaborative professionals.
