Collaborative

Collaborative Law

After many years of litigating numerous contested divorces and custody matters as counsel for the husband, wife or the minor children in a  court-appointed capacity, she observed the negative impact litigation had upon her clients and their children.   Ms. O'Connor decided to  undertake a different approach to resolving divorces and custody disputes and became trained in collaborative law process.

By selecting the Collaborative Law Divorce process, both you and your spouse avoid the high cost of litigation and irreparable harm often caused to the family.

Each party is represented by an  attorney trained in Collaborative Law.  All participants must sign an agreement to resolve their divorce without litigation.  If a resolution is not reached, the parties must retain litigation counsel.  Many ask  why would I want to start over with another attorney after participating in this process?  The reason is simple: It keep the parties committed  to the process and allows the parties to identify options and determine solutions without the involvement of the court.  

A family therapist, also known  as a "divorce coach",  trained in the  Collaborative process is engaged to provide guidance in managing  emotions that interfere with negotiations by enhancing communication to move the process along.  A "child specialist", a therapist or  psychologist trained in Collaborative Law also joins the team to provide  guidance to the parents in understanding the developmental needs of children when creating a parenting plan.

Also joining the group is a "financial specialist", trained in the Collaborative process, that will prepare financial documents, a budget analysis, and be available to address any tax issues that may arise.

It sounds overwhelming and expensive but it really is not.  It is very rare that all the participants meet at the same time which can reduce the number of hours spent with the collaborative attorneys.

When you consider the costs of litigation, you will be quite surprised how cost efficient the process can be.