Collaborative Divorce Law of the Palm Beaches

Why Collaborative Training is Essential

When looking for a collaborative divorce lawyer, pay attention to whether the attorney is trained in the collaborative process. You want to know about the attorney's commitment to the collaborative process and the fact that he or she has actually attended a training is a significant start to assessing the lawyer's commitment to the process.

The collaborative divorce process is not what attorneys are trained to use. In fact, the collaborative process differs in major ways from traditional representation. Lawyers who have not been trained in collaborative negotiation techniques tend to be very uncomfortable by the client-centered method of 4 way meetings. It is very unusual for both parties and both attorneys to sit down together to mediate a traditional divorce case.

One way of determining whether the attorney has received collaborative process training is to search the International Academy of Collaborative Professionals. In order to become a member of the IACP, the attorney must have received the basic collaborative law training in order to join. All the attorney's collaborative training is listed on their IACP profile. You want an attorney trained in the collaborative divorce process.

What is a Four Way Conference?

One of the striking differences in a collaborative divorce case is that the negotiations are conducted in "four way conferences" or "4 Ways" for short. In traditional divorce cases, negotiations are often conducted by the attorneys over the telephone. The attorneys decide what is important and where compromises can be made and then ask for your input.

Collaborative law, by contrast, conducts all the negotiations with the parties present. Because each party is represented by an attorney, there are four people at these settlement conferences. Thus, the name "four way conference."

When you've made the decision to divorce, even collaboratively, there are many issues that need to be dealt with early in the case. These immediate issues are usually the subject of the initial four way - issues like temporary support, living arrangements, temporary time sharing schedules. From there it is up to the divorcing parents to decide the agenda for the subsequent four way conferences.

Negotiating with both parties and their attorneys in person is far different than the typical divorce negotiations. No more attorney calls to "work things out." No more proposed settlements that you had no input into creating other than to say yes or no.  Four way conferences are one of the true differences in a collaborative divorce.