Collaborative Law
Tarrant County Collaborative Law Attorneys
Collaborative Law is a powerful, binding, yet non-litigation approach to solving legal problems, and is highly effective in family law, especially in divorce proceedings. When disputes involve children and parents, collaborative law makes it easier to preserve relationships among children and parents long after the legal action is complete.
At the law firm of Denton, Smith, Cunningham, L.P., located in Colleyville, our attorneys are trained in collaborative law and utilize its methods for resolving divorce and other family law issues when clients are interested in resolving a case privately, ‘‘outside of the system,’’ in an amicable and respectful setting.
Perils of Litigation
In litigation, essentially, the parties are asking strangers to make decisions about their children and property. Each side prepares a case to persuade the judge that only her/his view has merit. Airing each party’s weaknesses, failures, misdeeds and mistakes in a courtroom is embarrassing to both parties, shattering both trust and respect. After such a wrenching experience, a respectful post-divorce partnership has little chance of succeeding, much less nurturing the children.
Hope of Collaboration
When resolving a case through collaborative law, the parties engage in a series of settlement meetings outside the courthouse. Attorneys trained in collaborative law represent each party.
As the clients use the team model, the collaborative sessions incorporate a neutral communication/counseling specialist and a neutral financial expert, who are also trained in the collaborative law process, to serve as unbiased consultants to all parties. All agree to abide by strict rules of communication to facilitate courtesy, respect and results. The parties, their attorneys and the neutral specialists are encouraged to speak freely during meetings.
Everyone works together as a team to share documents and set goals, agendas and realistic deadlines. All work toward serving the interests of all parties, especially the children. If other experts are needed, for example, to appraise the value of a home and the costs of needed home improvements, the parties can agree to hire one neutral expert for each intended specialized purpose.
At Denton, Smith & Cunningham, our training and wealth of experience in collaborative law allows us to help clients avoid not only driving a wedge between whatever remains of the marital and/or parental relationships, but also the high cost of litigation. We focus on the big picture, offering our local clients a kinder and gentler way to help them resolve divorce and other domestic issues to the optimal benefit of them and their children.
When you need legal help with a divorce or other sensitive family law matter, please call our Colleyville TX law firm at (817) 479-0565 to discuss your needs with a Tarrant County Collaborative Law Attorney and learn how collaborative law can help preserve your family relationship.
