Who may be involved in the Collaborative Practice Process?

  • You and your partner.
    By committing to the collaborative practice process you and your partner agree to focus on the future, work in the best interests of your children, openly share information wellbeing of both of you and any children, work to reach agreement and find solutions that are acceptable to both of you.
  • Collaborative Lawyers.
    Your collaborative lawyers will identify what is important to each of you and your partner and identify the questions to be asked and provide legal advice. Your collaborative lawyers will help you gather relevant information, create options to help you both meet your goals and help you negotiate an agreement. They may also draft the agreement into orders for the Court.
  • Collaborative Coach.
    Your Collaborative Coach is a neutral third party that case manages and facilitates the collaborative practice process. This includes carrying out an assessment at the beginning of your matter and facilitating meetings individually and jointly with you and your partner, your respective collaborative lawyers and other experts. The Collaborative Coach may also assist you and your partner with communication issues, negotiating an agreement and drafting the agreement into orders for the Court.
  •  Financial Professional.
    Your financial professional is an accountant or financial planner/advisor, business/property valuer or other financial expert and may also be trained in collaborative practice. Your financial professional may recommend you initially to the collaborative practice process and may meet with both of you, individually and/or together to provide options and ideas as to how best to manage your finances and property. The appointment of your financial professional may be useful where you need to create dialogues around money, help to understand your finances and/or generate ideas. Your financial professional will provide information including by way of cash flows, inventories and reports, not recommendations.
  • Child Consultant.
    Your Child Consultant is an expert in child development, such as a child & adolescent psychologist or psychiatrist and may also be trained in collaborative practice. The appointment of your Child Consultant may be useful where it would be helpful to have someone skilled in assessment and engagement with children and working with parents. It may also be helpful where one of your family members has a mental health issue. Your Child Consultant will be an advocate for your children (not a child therapist) and will guide you in making arrangements that are in the best interests of your children.
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