I recently read a very interesting article by Michael Zeytoonian, a Massachusetts lawyer and mediator, asking a very interesting question: Do you have your primary care lawyer?
Michael opines that while most people have a primary care physician to help direct them for their medical needs, most people at some point will have legal issues and do not know to whom to turn. He then cites an old adage: “The worst time to hire a lawyer is when you need one.”
Here are some excerpts:
Malcolm Little became Malcolm X. Cassius Clay became Muhammad Ali. Cat Stevens became Yusuf Islam. All three changed their names to reflect their Muslim identity and cultural beliefs.
And if you wish to change your legal name to reflect your identity and beliefs, section 68.07 of the Florida Statutes sets out how you may do so.
I strongly believe that the vast majority of Tampa Bay spouses who are considering divorce would be best served by engaging in the collaborative divorce process, where attorneys are used as problem-solvers rather than gunslingers. Decisions such as where children will sleep at night are made by parents rather than judges, and interactions between the parents are private and confidential rather than public and discoverable by their children in the future.
And yet, I would be remiss if I were to not underscore that there are potential disadvantages to the collaborative divorce process. In fact, in 2009, the American Bar Association Section of Dispute Resolution, Collaborative Law Committee Informed Consent Subcomittee published its draft Suggested Protocols to Obtain Clients’ Informed Consent to Use a Collaborative Process.
From the Suggested Protocols, families who are considering the collaborative process should know the following:
Here in Tampa Bay and around the world, collaborative practice is most frequently associated with divorce and other family law matters, as a non-adversarial method to resolve disputes. And yet, the collaborative process has been and is being used in many different legal matters, including in the area of medical malpractice.
Many times patients and their families simply want to know what happened when there has been an injury or fatality at a medical facility, and yet doctors feel hamstrung as they are afraid that any discussion will be utilized against them as an expression of culpability. The collaborative process provides a safe space for direct and confidential dialogue, and it also allows hospitals to be more open in examining incidents and figuring out how to avoid error in the future.
Below is a video from a pilot program, the Integrated Accountability and Collaborative Transparency (IACT) Program from North Carolina: Read more →
The Tampa Tribune recently reported that the Union for Reform Judaism (“URJ”) passed a resolution in support of transgender rights. The resolution of the URJ, representing approximately 1.5 million American Jews, is the most wide-reaching indication of support for transgender equality.
The resolution did not mandate changes to Reform synagogues or require them to spend money on changes, though it did set suggested protocols on welcoming transgender and non-gender-conforming individuals.
Collaborative divorce is a relatively new concept in Tampa. It is counterintuitive to think that attorneys would promote a concept that keeps divorcing spouses out of court. Further, who would think that attorneys would be willing to take a step back, and allow (i) mental health professionals to take the lead in emotional divorce discussions and (ii) financial professionals to be the point people on the division of assets and debts and other support topics.
And, yet, that is what collaborative lawyers do.
Collaborative practice is growing around the world, including in Brazil. Below is a video in Portuguese that discusses collaborative divorce in Brazil:
Stu Webb is an attorney from Minnesota who one day decided that he no longer wanted to be involved in the destruction of divorce court, and so he created collaborative divorce. Collaborative divorce is a private process where spouses become teammates rather than opposing parties, and attorneys focus on problem-solving rather than fighting.
Oftentimes accountants, psychologists, financial planners, therapists, and others are used to make sure that not just the legal needs, but also the emotional and financial needs of the spouses are met.
Collaborative Divorce has become more common here in Tampa Bay as families and attorneys realize that the court system should be seen as a forum of last resort, rather than first resort, to resolve personal issues.
Now, as it turns out, Stu Webb is not only the founder of collaborative divorce, but he is also an avid fan of Jazz. You can find a short video he helped create comparing collaborative divorce to jazz after the jump.
Tampa Collaborative Family Law Attorney Adam B. Cordover was a guest speaker at Nova Southeastern University’s 3-Day Collaborative Training, held November 6-8. Adam spoke on the topic of “Troubleshooting the Collaborative Divorce Roadmap.”
Attorneys, Mental Health Professionals, and Financial Professionals attended the training, though there was also a large contingent of mental health students. This conference was meant to kick start a groundbreaking program/clinic where the students would team up with professionals and offer collaborative divorce services to veterans.
A Tampa name change client of mine recently left a review of our legal services on Avvo.com. You can find the testimonial after the jump.
FLORIDA BAR DISCLAIMER: Please note that every case is different, and you may not receive the same or similar results.
I recently had the opportunity to appear on Money Talk 1010 AM on the “Let’s Talk Law” Radio Program.
I was joined by Pasco and Pinellas family law attorney Audrey Jefferis, and we discussed, among other things, the similarities and differences between mediation divorce and collaborative divorce. The radio program, which you can listen to after the jump, was recorded in the St. Petersburg studios of Beasely Broadcasting.
