Collaborative Law is a recent approach by specially trained and accredited family lawyers nationwide to manage divorce in a more dignified way.

Here at Bonallack and Bishop we are big fans of the collaborative process, and now have two of our family team trained up at our Salisbury and Andover offices as Collaborative lawyers.

Under the scheme: 

• All parties unusually agree in writing to reach settlement without Court involvement one agreeing to work together to sort out issues regarding both money and children.
• In face to face meetings with both husband and wife and their respective Lawyers, both of whom must be trained in Collaborative Law.
• The clients remain in control of the process but with Lawyers there throughout for legal advice and guidance. Utilising their skills in client representation, negotiation and problem-solving, collaborative family lawyers help their clients shape a fair agreement. 
• If no settlement can be reached then both husband and wife must appoint new firms of solicitors to deal with the Court proceedings. There is therefore a strong financial incentive for both clients and solicitors to reach a fair settlement.
• Correspondence between solicitors is discouraged, keeping down costs and helping parties sort out separation in an amicable way.
• Unlike mediation, where a mediator advises you and your partner and where lawyers are usually excluded from much of the mediation process, in collaborative law both parties have their own lawyer to advise them throughout.

We are completely convinced that this approach is the future for divorce work, with sensitive, specially trained collaborative Family  Law solicitors working together to sort out problems quickly and cheaply, avoiding the stress, delay and confrontational approach that any application to court inevitably involves.

For any further enquiry , contact us today for advice from an expert family law solicitor .