Collaborative law is a process of working toward dispute resolution without recourse to the courts. Collaborative law is multi-disciplinary and non-adversarial. Lawyers act as advisors to the parties, not as advocates. The parties themselves negotiate directly with one another. They agree to use their problem-solving skills to resolve all conflicts by "thinking outside the box." The goal is to arrive at creative solutions that work for their unique situations.

Collaborative law has found its biggest area of application in family law. Rather than experience the trauma of a contested divorce, couples can utilize the collaborative law process to negotiate terms for the dissolution of the marriage on terms they both agree upon. Often this spares children the distress of seeing their parents fighting and saves the expense of lengthy litigation.

Another application of collaborative practice is for same sex couples. Because divorce does not exist as an option, a collaborative law approach can deal with the dissolution of a relationship while preserving the privacy and dignity of each party.

As a trained collaborative lawyer I can assist in you using in employing collaborative law to resolve disputes. Please call me at 312-427-9150 or contact me online to arrange an appointment.