I am an advocate for the client-centric, interest-based, outcome-focused, low-conflict Collaborative Family Law process for which I am specifically trained. This growing effective approach normally includes each client’s lawyer, plus a neutral family professional and a neutral financial professional, each specifically trained in the Collaborative process. The lawyers represent their clients, providing advice and guidance with respect to your rights and obligations under the law and guide you through the process. You retain solicitor/client confidentiality privilege. The family neutral assists in many ways, from helping each spouse identify their goals and needs, providing any needed emotional coaching and advice, as well as driving the development of a functioning parenting plan for the family that is unique to them, and not a boiler plate template. The financial neutral handles the legwork of all the financial details, calculations, statements and documents necessary. Both neutrals participate with the team in developing and evaluating various settlement options that best meet each client’s needs.   I use proprietary software to forecast various settlement scenarios out to 15 or 20 years to see if these scenarios remain financially fair and durable for the future of each party.

Best engaged from the outset of the process, the Financial Neutral brings many benefits to the clients and lawyers to the process. Most of the work by the Financial Neutral is done offline from the lawyers and other professionals, saving the clients on overall professional costs.

Benefits of the Collaborative Approach include:

• Clients control the process and create their own outcomes, in consultation with their lawyer, and neutral professionals. No one else deciding and imposing an outcome you may not feel is fair.
• Conflict, animosity, and positional posturing are set aside to focus on solutions that best meet each party’s needs and goals and those of the children.
• Applies the right professional doing the right tasks at the right time, saving duplication and excessive fees.
• Timelines for settlement can be in months rather than years.
• Meetings are better focused on issues and settlement rather than overrun by emotions, posturing and arguing.
• A working relationship between the parties is often intact and perhaps stronger at the conclusion, allowing co-parenting to happen with less stress.
• Clients are professionally supported through the most important and difficult time of your life. This lowers your stress level and allows you to make the best decisions for you and your family.

Hourly fees are charged, with a required retainer prior to work commencing.

Learn more about Collaborative Practice Family Law here.