Member Article

Jacksons Partner Qualifies as Collaborative Law Specialist

Amanda Baker, partner and head of Jacksons Law Firm’s family law department, becomes one of only a few trained collaborative lawyers in the North East qualified to offer this fresh approach to family disputes.

Collaborative law is a relatively new way of dealing with legal issues involving divorce and related disputes without the need to go to court. Instead of dealing through solicitors, this approach involves couples working with their solicitors together in a room to reach agreement without the need for costly and stressful court battles.

The breakdown of a relationship is never easy and avoiding the adversarial approach helps protect family members from the worst effects of a relationship’s breakdown. This form of resolution also helps keep costs down, which in turn lessens the financial and emotional impact on all the family.

Collaborative law involves the family members and their lawyers agreeing to sit down together to find a mutually acceptable way forward without having to go to court.

The process itself involves a number of four way meetings between the family members and their legal representatives. It is decided what needs to be resolved and these issues are then worked on until a logical conclusion is reached. Collaborative lawyers have all undertaken specialist training to help them facilitate this process.

This method can be used to resolve all aspects of the relationship breakdown, including the division of assets and income and the future care of the children.

The agreement made between the family members and the legal representatives from the start makes it fundamental that none of the family members withdraw from the collaborative law process. If they do then they must each find new legal representatives.

Once everyone is in agreement the legal representatives will draw up a formal document which will be submitted to the court for approval and then made into a binding order.

By using the collaborative law methods it is hoped that more creative solutions tailored to a family’s circumstances can be found. This in turn should help preserve family relationships.

For further information, please contact Joanna Gibson, marketing manager at jgibson@jacksons-law.com or Amanda Baker at abaker@jacksons-law.com

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by jan wilson .