Section 61.57 - Beginning, concluding, and terminating a collaborative law process(1) The collaborative law process begins, regardless of whether a legal proceeding is pending, when the parties enter into a collaborative law participation agreement.(2) A tribunal may not order a party to participate in a collaborative law process over that party's objection.(3) A collaborative law process is concluded by any of the following: (a) Resolution of a collaborative matter as evidenced by a signed record;(b) Resolution of a part of the collaborative matter, evidenced by a signed record, in which the parties agree that the remaining parts of the collaborative matter will not be resolved in the collaborative law process; or(c) Termination of the collaborative law process.(4) A collaborative law process terminates when a party: (a) Gives notice to the other parties in a record that the collaborative law process is concluded;(b) Begins a proceeding related to a collaborative matter without the consent of all parties;(c) Initiates a pleading, a motion, an order to show cause, or a request for a conference with a tribunal in a pending proceeding related to a collaborative matter;(d) Requests that the proceeding be put on the tribunal's active calendar in a pending proceeding related to a collaborative matter;(e) Takes similar action requiring notice to be sent to the parties in a pending proceeding related to a collaborative matter; or(f) Discharges a collaborative attorney or a collaborative attorney withdraws from further representation of a party, except as otherwise provided in subsection (7).(5) A party's collaborative attorney shall give prompt notice to all other parties in a record of a discharge or withdrawal.(6) A party may terminate a collaborative law process with or without cause.(7) Notwithstanding the discharge or withdrawal of a collaborative attorney, the collaborative law process continues if, not later than 30 days after the date that the notice of the discharge or withdrawal of a collaborative attorney required by subsection (5) is sent to the parties:(a) The unrepresented party engages a successor collaborative attorney;(b) The parties consent to continue the collaborative law process by reaffirming the collaborative law participation agreement in a signed record;(c) The collaborative law participation agreement is amended to identify the successor collaborative attorney in a signed record; and(d) The successor collaborative attorney confirms his or her representation of a party in the collaborative law participation agreement in a signed record.(8) A collaborative law process does not conclude if, with the consent of the parties, a party requests a tribunal to approve a resolution of a collaborative matter or any part thereof as evidenced by a signed record.(9) A collaborative law participation agreement may provide additional methods for concluding a collaborative law process.Added by 2016 Fla. Laws, ch. 93, s 6, eff. 30 days after the Florida Supreme Court adopts rules of procedure and professional responsibility consistent with this act.