Section 1 - Introduction
Collaborative law is a voluntary, contractually based alternative dispute resolution process for parties who seek to negotiate a resolution of their matter. The distinctive feature of collaborative law, as compared to other forms of alternative dispute resolution such as mediation, is that parties are represented during negotiations by collaborative lawyers who they retain for the limited purpose of acting as advocates and counselors during the negotiation process and obtaining court approval. The basic ground rules for a collaborative law matter are set forth in a collaborative law participation agreement in which parties designate collaborative lawyers and other professionals and agree not to seek judicial resolution of a dispute during the collaborative law process. The goal of the collaborative family law process is to achieve an agreement on all issues considered in the collaborative family law process, so that agreements signed by the parties can be submitted to a court for approval to resolve all pending or disputed matters.