Collaborative Law

They both shared a sadness that their relationship had deteriorated but agreed that their separation should be made permanent.

They had discussed the option of divorce but were not really sure how it worked or how they could or should sort out their finances.

Mrs A desperately wanted to approach the separation in an amicable way for the benefit of the whole family. She wanted to make sure that she could attend family events, such as weddings and christenings with Mr A in the future without any animosity or awkwardness. However, as she had never been through anything like this before did not know where to start and what her legal rights were. She felt that without legal support she would be bewildered by the processes and financial arrangements.

We were able to represent Mrs A through the Collaborative Law process which involved having meetings with Mr A and his solicitor all together, where we were able to advise and support Mrs A in reaching a financial settlement and an agreed way forwards with the divorce.

Mrs A’s main aim was to be able to continue living in the family home and we were able to negotiate a settlement that allowed her to do this and have the income to be able to afford to do so. We were able to reach an agreement over the course of three meetings and avoided the need to go to court. The discussions that took place were respectful and conducted in a constructive way so Mrs A’s hope to attend their daughter’s wedding with Mr A without worrying were achieved.

What is Collaborative Law?

When going through a divorce or separation it is difficult enough without being drawn into stressful, unpredictable, lengthy and costly court proceedings. Collaborative law is a way of helping separating couples reach a financial settlement without having to go to court with the support of specially trained lawyers.

The collaborative law process involves each party appointing their own lawyer and sitting down together in a series of face to face meetings to try and work things out to reach the best solutions for you and your family. All parties will commit to approaching the meetings in a constructive and non-confrontational way and not to make an application to court.

The collaborative law process can also be used in relation to pre and post nuptial agreements.

Why should you choose the collaborative law process?

• It is amicable and helps you keep a good relationship with your ex-partner
• You set the agenda and timeframes meaning reaching a settlement is usually much quicker than going through the courts
• Typically the costs are significantly less than pursuing the matter through court proceedings.
• You benefit from having the support and independent advice from your own lawyer who is with you each step of the process.
• Those solicitors involved in the collaborative process are specially trained to deal with matters in a collaborative way.

You can find more information on the collaborative law options here.