Collaborative Family Law

Collaborative family law offers separating couples an alternative, less adversarial means of resolving their family law issues following the breakdown of marriage and de-facto relationships.  We are trained collaborative lawyers and members of the Central Sydney Collaborative Forum and International Academy of Collaborative Professionals

Collaborative practise is a voluntary process in which parties settle disputes without resorting to litigation.

In Collaborative practise:

• The parties sign a collaborative participation agreement describing the nature and scope of the issues that they seek to resolve during the collaborative settlement process;
• The parties voluntarily disclose all information which is relevant and material to the issues;
• The parties agree to use good faith efforts in their negotiations to reach settlement;
• Each party must be represented by a collaboratively-trained lawyer whose representation terminates if either party withdraws from the collaborative process and/or starts court proceedings;
• The parties may engage mental health, communication, family, and financial professionals to assist the parties understands aspects of the settlement during the collaborative process; and
• The parties may jointly engage other experts to evaluate and value the issues in dispute and assets of the parties.

Collaborative practise provides you and your spouse with the support and guidance of your own lawyers without going to court. The process also allows you the benefit of appropriately qualified experts, including divorce coaches, child consultants and financial specialists, all working together with you on your team.

In Collaborative practise, each person, including the professionals, commits to:

• Negotiate a mutually-acceptable resolution without having courts decide issues;
• Maintain open communication and information sharing; and
• Create shared solutions which acknowledge the needs of all parties to the negotiations.

We accept instructions and referrals directly from private clients and family lawyers who are collaboratively-trained in relation to a broad range of family law matters, including financial settlements involving significant private and business assets, complex financial arrangements, trust structures and offshore property.