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.
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