Fine & Associates Professional Corporation
Dispute Resolution Lawyers in Ontario, Toronto
Collaborative Law for Family Law Matters
If you are looking for a more cost-effective way to settle your divorce or marriage separation,Fine & Associates Professional Corportion provides collaborative law resolutions that allow you to settle your differences amicably without the trouble and expense involved with litigation.
What is Collaborative Law?
Collaborative Law is a process of resolving disputes. Each party retains his or her lawyer to act as an advisor during collaboration. Both lawyers must be trained in dealing with collaborative law and all parties must sign an agreement that they are all committed to resolving the outstanding issues. When Fine & Associates Professional Corporation helps parties resolve their differences with using a collaborative law process, we work together with our clients to find a creative way to resolve your dispute. In collaborative law, all decisions are made by the clients and our role is to act as a legal advisor to guide you through the best ways to settle the differences with your spouse.
When to Seek Collaborative Law for Dispute Resolution
Collaborative law is best sought when both parties (whether you are attempting a marriage separation or a divorce) are committed to resolving their differences amicably. Collaborative law is likely not the best resolution method if there is a history of domestic abuse or your spouse is dishonest or does not care about your best interests. Collaborative law is in your best interests if you wish to have more control over your legal separation or divorce proceedings.
Collaborative Law Benefits
While collaborative law is less stressful than aggressive litigation, it can also be cheaper. Since litigation involves numerous court appearances, drafting and revising court documents, and exchanging numerous correspondences, collaborative law offers a more cost-effective resolution method to a divorce or legal separation. The process of using Collaborative Law to resolve family disputes involves drafting and revising a Financial Statement, gathering all supporting documentation and meetings with all parties to try to resolve all outstanding issues. The goal is to finalize a Separation Agreement. The time involved is usually far less than with litigation or mediation. If you and your spouse get along amicably, we advise you to consider collaborative law.
The difference between Collaborative Law and negotiating a matter with the assistance of counsel during a four-way settlement meeting is that with Collaborative Law, the lawyers also have a vested interest in trying to resolve the dispute. If the parties are unable to resolve their differences using the Collaborative process, the lawyers assisting the parties must resign. They cannot act for the parties during any subsequent legal proceedings. Therefore, it is in everyone’s interest to try to resolve their differences amicably.
Contact Our Experienced Family Law Lawyers
If you’d like to settle your divorce collaboratively, Lorne Fine is certified in collaborative law and can help you attain an agreeable settlement with your spouse. Contact Fine & Associates Professional Corporation for family law lawyers that will help you settle your dispute today!
Call 416-661-2066 to speak with collaborative
law lawyer Lorne Fine today!