In our court system, a divorce may take more than a year after a petition is filed to become final. Emotionally drained individuals walk away with no one a victor. Contact our firm today to speak with an attorney about the possibility of using the collaborative approach in your divorce.
Is It Better To Fight It Out, or Work Together?
Lawsuits can be costly, time-consuming and emotionally draining. Taking an important child custody, child support, property division or other divorce matter to court can result in an outcome that disappoints everyone involved. In fact, many lawyers and judges will say that if neither party is happy when the final ruling is made, it was probably the right decision.
There is an alternative to giving control over to the courts. You can work together in a collaborative law setting to resolve disputes and establish agreements that are truly custom tailored to the needs of your family. The team at the Sweeney Law Offices can help.
Our trained collaborative law attorneys serve the legal needs of families in the Pittsburgh area and throughout western Pennsylvania. Contact us today to discuss whether collaborative divorce may be a real option in your case, or continue reading to learn more about some of the general concepts and features of collaborative family law.
Thank you for contacting Sweeney Law Offices. Your message has been sent.
Call us now
or use the form below.
While the traditional adversarial process may be necessary to protect your rights and interests in a divorce or child custody dispute, in most cases you will find that the collaborative process offers a chance to avoid unnecessary expense, delay and stress for everyone involved, especially the children who are looking to you to set an example of how important issues are handled.
Not many attorneys are trained or experienced in the use of collaborative law techniques. The team at the Sweeney Law Offices has received specific training from the Collaborative Law Association of Southwestern Pennsylvania (CLASP) and has extensive experience in the collaborative approach to resolving custody, complex property division, support and other issues in divorce. Contact us today to learn more.
The Development of Collaborative Law
Processes similar to collaborative law have been around a long time. In fact, the processes lawyers use in criminal law, juvenile law and child protective services have their roots in practices that incorporate many of the principles now enshrined in collaborative law. Consult a skilled collaborative attorney from Sweeney Law Offices in Cranberry Township, Pennsylvania to discuss the advantages of the collaborative approach in your legal matter.
The practice of collaborative law is new to the legal system. However, other types of practices that focus on removing the parties from adversarial proceedings and emphasize healing and party-initiated problem-solving have been in use for much longer. The following list provides some examples of precursors to collaborative law. These methods helped influence the eventual development of collaborative practices.
· Conferencing Circles
Conferencing circles attempt to make the victim, offender and society whole. Everyone with primary or secondary interests in the outcome of the case is included in the conference. The facilitator brings out all the issues for the group to discuss. Using a consensus approach, the group then comes up with a plan for resolution. Victims are allowed to confront their offenders, providing a sense of closure.
· Victim-Offender Mediation/Victim-Offender Reconciliation Program (VOM/VORP)
VOM/VORP meetings are most often used in violent crimes to give the victim a human face. The victim, offender and a trained mediator attend the meeting. Participants report that VOM/VORP provides a forum for healing to take place.
· Victim Impact Panels
Victim impact panels provide offenders with an opportunity to meet the people whom they have harmed with their actions. Many communities have instituted victim impact panels as part of drunk-driving reduction strategies.
· Family Group Conferencing/Family Group Decision-Making
This restorative practice is often used by Child Protective Services (CPS) to develop a plan for keeping the child in the home after accusations of abuse and maltreatment. The parents, child and any other family members integral to the child's life meet with social workers to create the plan, with a focus on providing support and education to the parents and creating a safe environment for the child.
· Problem-Solving Courts
The phrase "problem-solving courts" refers to court interventions that focus on the underlying chronic behaviors of criminal defendants. For example, drug courts are devoted to drug-related crimes, often involving addiction. Thus, the purpose of a drug court program is to get at the underlying addiction. Criminal sanctions are used as a means to compel compliance with addiction treatment. The judge usually works with a team of treatment providers, social workers, probation officers and other law enforcement officers.
Conclusion
Collaborative processes are being introduced to an ever-increasing range of legal issues - from family law issues to criminal matters to civil cases. Clients and attorneys have begun to realize that legal matters can be resolved in a more collective, positive environment than traditional legal processes may provide. Contact Sweeney Law Offices in Cranberry Township, Pennsylvania today to speak with an attorney about the collaborative law process. He or she can evaluate your case and discuss how this method may benefit you.
Copyright ©2009 FindLaw, a Thomson Business
DISCLAIMER: This site and any information contained herein are intended for informational purposes only and should not be construed as legal advice. Seek competent legal counsel for advice on any legal matter.
