In 2003, Reynolds O'Brien LLP partner Karen Selick spearheaded the effort to bring Collaborative Family Law to the Quinte area by organizing training for local lawyers. A dozen or so Quinte-area lawyers (the numbers keep expanding as additional lawyers are trained) have now learned how to apply these techniques, and are offering collaborative law services to clients who prefer a non-adversarial method of dealing with their marriage breakdown. The collaborative lawyers are confident this will provide a less expensive and less stressful way for estranged spouses to resolve their differences.
What Is Unique About Collaborative Family Law?
The unique feature of Collaborative Family Law is a 4-party contract signed by both estranged spouses and both lawyers. The contract commits all four individuals to working in a co-operative manner to arrive at unique, creative solutions to the problems facing that specific family.
In particular, the spouses agree that they will not start court proceedings unless all efforts at collaborative resolution have been completely exhausted. But even more important is the agreement by the lawyers that they will not go to court on behalf of these clients at any time. Thus, if negotiations break down and one spouse decides to head for court, two new lawyers will have to be hired.
Both spouses realize that this would result in a wasteful duplication of legal fees. This gives them a keen incentive to remain at the negotiating table and to avoid court proceedings if at all possible.
Both lawyers realize that they might lose a client not only if their own client is dissatisfied with their efforts but also if the party on the other side becomes alienated. Therefore, the lawyers have an incentive to:
How Long Has Collaborative Family Law Been Around?
A lawyer named Stuart Webb in Minneapolis, Minnesota developed the collaborative law procedure in 1990 after many years of practicing adversarial family law. The technique worked so well for him and his clients that Mr. Webb has practiced collaborative law exclusively since then.
Information about the technique spread by word-of-mouth at first, although eventually major newspapers and magazines began to write about it. Canadians may have read about it in:
Does Collaborative Family Law Really Work?
Many lawyers who have tried the collaborative technique have found it so superior that they have stopped practicing adversarial law altogether. In some cities and towns, the majority of family law lawyers have converted to a collaborative practice. Lawyers, just like their clients, appreciate the civility, dignity and reduction of stress that comes from working co-operatively.
Clients who have used the collaborative technique have been very pleased with the results. Many have expressed the view that their children are benefiting, too, from the lack of hostility between parents.
Where Can I Find Out More About Collaborative Family Law?
There are many sites on the web on Collaborative Family Law. Any search engine will bring up thousands of hits. In the Quinte area, the Quinte Collaborative Law Association maintains a website. Other Ontario residents might be interested in reading the Toronto group's site or the Ottawa group's site. Both contain many useful links to other collaborative sites.
Who Provides Collaborative Services in the Quinte Area?
Karen Selick is the President pro tem of the Quinte Collaborative Law Association. Karen is a partner at Reynolds O'Brien LLP. Call her at 613-966-3031 or e-mail her at mail@reynoldsobrien.com for a brochure listing the names of collaborative lawyers. The Quinte Collaborative Law Association also maintains a page on its website where the names of trained collaborative practitioners are posted.
Why Should I Choose Reynolds O'Brien LLP
To Handle My Collaborative Family Law Case?
The firm of Reynolds O’Brien LLP pioneered the efforts to bring collaborative family law to the Quinte area. We are committed to making this new technique a success in this area.
The firm maintains two memberships in the Quinte Collaborative Law Association, for lawyers Karen Selick and Sharon Leitch. We were the first local law firm with two collaboratively trained lawyers.
Our office at 183 Front Street, Belleville has a ground-floor conference room for the convenience of those who have difficulty climbing stairs.