Collaborative Divorce : Family Diplomacy | A Collaborative Law Firm

COLLABORATIVE DIVORCE AND FAMILY LAW IN FLORIDA. No matter how you look at it, divorce and family law matters are difficult to go through. Expectations of stability are shattered,

mistrust grows, and bills pile up. And then the litigation begins. Attorneys file and serve petitions, counterpetitions, requests to produce, and motions to compel. Each party hires dueling mental health experts to convince a judge that he or she should have more time with the children. Privacy is eliminated as each party’s life is probed and publicly questioned so that one side may gain a tactical advantage.

But there is a different way. A more civilized way. And it is called Collaborative Family Law (also known as Collaborative Divorce or Collaborative Practice).

We are a Collaborative law firm dedicated to helping people resolve personal disputes without destroying their families. We encourage the use of the Collaborative Family Law model in divorce, child custody, child support, alimony, post-judgment, prenuptial, and most other family law cases. Further, Adam B. Cordover is an internationally-recognized leader in Collaborative Practice, a trainer who teaches other professionals how to help families Collaboratively, and author of an upcoming American Bar Association book on Collaborative Law.

Cordover Provides Continuing Education at Tampa Accounting Firm

Florida’s Department of Business & Professional Regulation Division of Certified Public Accounting requires CPAs to complete a certain amount of continuing education units to remain licensed.

On May 3, 2016, Family Diplomacy managing attorney Adam B. Cordover, alongside collaborative professionals Sonya Johnson and Monica Epstein, provided continuing education units for the accountants of Cohen & Grieb, P.A. Cordover, Johnson, and Epstein gave a workshop on “Collaborative Family Law: The Smart Alternative to Courtroom Divorce.”

The workshop, held during National Small Business Week, focused on the effects that divorce can have on small businesses, and how collaborative family law can help ameliorate those effects.

Cordover Conducts 2-Day Introductory Collaborative Divorce Training in Manatee County

May 4, 2016/0 Comments/in Collaborative Divorce, Family Law News //Tags: collaborative divorce trainingby Adam

The International Academy of Collaborative Professionals promulgates Minimum Standards to hold oneself out as a collaborative professional. Those standards include a requirement that each collaborative professional attend a 2-day introductory collaborative training where they learn the process, skills, theories, and ethics of collaborative practice.

On April 29-30, Family Diplomacy managing attorney Adam B. Cordover conducted an introductory training, alongside internationally renowned collaborative trainer and Licensed Mental Health Counselor Anne R. Lucas of Kirkland, Washington, and highly experienced collaborative financial neutral and Certified Public Accountant/Accredited in Business Valuation Kristin DiMeo of Tampa, Florida.

Client Review: Collaborative Divorce Handled Efficiently and with Kindness

April 20, 2016/0 Comments/in Collaborative Divorce, Family Law News, Family Lawyer Reviews / Testimonials //Tags: collaborative attorney, collaborative divorce, collaborative family law, Collaborative Law, collaborative practiceby Adam

Family Diplomacy: A Collaborative Law Firm strives to serve its clients with compassion and respect. Especially when clients are facing the most difficult times, we are there to serve as a reliable and constructive resource.

A client on Avvo.com recently reviewed her collaborative divorce experience. You can find the review after the jump.

Please note that each case is different, and you may not receive the same or similar results.

Cordover Guest Speaker at Clearwater Bar Association Meeting

April 15, 2016/0 Comments/in Collaborative Divorce, Family Law News //Tags: collaborative attorney, collaborative divorce, collaborative facilitator, collaborative family law, collaborative financial professional, Collaborative Law, collaborative mental health professional, collaborative practiceby Adam

On April 13, 2016, collaborative attorney Adam B. Cordover was a guest speaker at a meeting of the Clearwater Bar Association Family Law Section. Cordover presented alongside Licensed Mental Health Counselor and Collaborative Facilitator Linda Peterman and Merrill Lynch Certified Financial Planner and Certified Divorce Financial Analyst Jim Spicer on “Collaborative Family Law – Offering A Cutting Edge Alternative to Courtroom Divorce.”

Collaborative divorce is a private form of alternative dispute resolution where the spouses and their attorneys work together to respectfully reach an agreement that is acceptable to both. Rather than focus on the arguments of the past, collaborative attorneys coach their clients to focus on the future and on what is most important to them, such as the health and well-being of their children.

Florida Trend Article Features Cordover and Collaborative Law

April 6, 2016/0 Comments/in Collaborative Divorce, Family Law News, LGBT Family Law Matters //Tags: collaborative attorney, collaborative divorce, collaborative family law, Collaborative Law, collaborative practice, LGBT family law, same sex divorceby Adam

The April 2016 edition of Florida Trend Magazine featured Family Diplomacy managing attorney Adam B. Cordover in an article on Collaborative Divorce. The article, titled “Avoiding a Fracas with Collaborative Divorce” (subscription required), described benefits and drawbacks of collaborative practice for executives and business owners.

You can find excerpts from the article below:

Last July, five years after launching his practice, divorce attorney Adam Cordover decided he was finished going to court. “I’d spent most of my career fighting in court for clients and had seen the devastating effects. I’d seen clients literally go crazy,” says Cordover. “I decided I no longer wanted to be part of it.”

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florida_Trend#/media/File:Florida_Trend_June_2012_Cover.jpg

He converted his firm to a litigation-free practice focused on what’s known as collaborative law. In a collaborative divorce, a couple agrees to settle their differences outside the courtroom through negotiations.

Read more →

Tampa Tribune Publishes Cordover Letter on Collaborative Divorce

April 4, 2016/0 Comments/in Collaborative Divorce, Family Law News, Legislative Update //Tags: collaborative attorney, collaborative divorce, collaborative facilitator, collaborative family law, collaborative financial professional, Collaborative Law, Collaborative Law Process Act, collaborative mental health professional, collaborative practice, Florida Academy of Collaborative Professionals, Tampa Bay Collaborative Divorce, Tampa Bay Collaborative Family Lawby Adam

The March 31, 2016 edition of the Tampa Tribune published a Letter to the Editor penned by Family Diplomacy Managing Attorney Adam B. Cordover on the newly signed Florida Collaborative Law Process Act (“CLPA”). You can find the Letter to the Editor below:

LETTER OF THE DAY: TAKING THE FIGHTING OUT OF DIVORCE

Recent bills passed by the Florida Legislature reforming alimony and changing child time-sharing laws have received a lot of attention, but something that has flown under the radar is the passage of the Collaborative Law Process Act (CLPA). Gov. Rick Scott signed the bill on March 24 after a seven-year effort by licensed mental health counselors, marriage and family therapists, psychologists and other family advocates.

The CLPA applies to divorce and other family law matters, and it creates a uniform system for the practice of collaborative law (also sometimes referred to as collaborative divorce, collaborative practice or the collaborative process).

The goal of collaborative law is to take the fighting out of divorce. Each spouse retains an attorney for the sole purpose of reaching an out-of-court agreement. Collaborative attorneys are barred from wasting any of the clients’ energy, time or money on opposition research, discovery motions or preparing for trial.

Collaborative law often involves a neutral facilitator with a mental health licensure. This is in recognition of the fact that divorce is not just a legal process, but it is predominately an emotional process. The facilitator helps parents learn to communicate and focus on what is most important to them, such as the health and welfare of their children.

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Governor Scott Signs Florida Collaborative Divorce Bill Into Law

March 24, 2016/2 Comments/in Collaborative Divorce, Florida Statutes, Legislative Update //Tags: collaborative attorney, collaborative child specialist, collaborative divorce, collaborative facilitator, collaborative family law, collaborative financial professional, Collaborative Law, collaborative mental health professional, collaborative practiceby Adam

On March 24, 2016, Florida Governor Rick Scott signed HB 967, the “Collaborative Law Process Act,” making Florida the 14th state to have Collaborative Divorce codified in its laws.

Collaborative Divorce is a private form of dispute resolution where the parties agree from the outset to settle all matters outside of court. Each party has his or her own attorney, and the attorneys are there solely to help the parties reach an agreement that is tailored for that family. The attorneys are forbidden from engaging in opposition research or preparing for costly trials.

Are Florida Divorce Courts Anti-Dad?

March 14, 2016/0 Comments/in Collaborative Divorce, Kids, See Kids //Tags: collaborative attorney, collaborative divorce, collaborative family law, Collaborative Law, collaborative practice, father's rightsby Adam

Over the past few years, there has been a movement to overhaul the alimony and child custody laws of Florida and other states. This is because husbands and fathers have felt like they are under siege in the family law court system. They have a glimmer of hope that, if only the laws were changed, then maybe they could get the respect and dignity that they deserve when entering a courtroom.

Map of Florida Circuit Courts

So this bring up a fundamental question: Are Florida’s family law courts anti-father?

Collaborative Law Process Act Protects Families’ Privacy

March 7, 2016/0 Comments/in Collaborative Divorce, Divorce, Florida Statutes, Legislative Update, Private Divorce //Tags: collaborative attorney, collaborative divorce, collaborative family law, Collaborative Law, collaborative practice, Tampa Bay Collaborative Divorce, Tampa Bay Collaborative Family Lawby Adam

Last Friday, the Florida Senate passed its version of HB-967, the Collaborative Law Process Act, priming Florida to become the 14th state to pass a version of the Uniform Collaborative Law Act.

The bill, which was voted on in the Florida Senate by 39-0 after passing the Florida House last month by 117-0, is now enrolled and expected to be signed by the governor. At the earliest, the Collaborative Law Process Act becomes binding on July 1, 2016. However, it may take longer, as the bill itself states that it will not go into effect until 30 days after the Florida Supreme Court adopts Rules of Procedure and Rules of Professional Responsibility consistent with the bill. It is my understanding that proposed rules have been provided or will be provided to the Supreme Court.

[Update: On March 24, 2016, Governor Scott Signed the Collaborative Law Process Act]

The Collaborative Law Process Act, which applies to divorce, paternity, and other family law matters, does several things:

Collaborative Divorce Books

March 1, 2016/0 Comments/in Collaborative Divorce //Tags: collaborative attorney, collaborative divorce, collaborative family law, Collaborative Law, collaborative practice, Florida Academy of Collaborative Professionalsby Adam

I recently wrote a blog post for the new website of the Florida Academy of Collaborative Professionals on books about collaborative divorce books. There are a lot of great books out there, including books geared towards people going through or thinking about divorce. Below are the books I discussed:

thecollaborativewaytodivorce Stuart G. Webb & Ronald D. Ousky, The Collaborative Way to Divorce: The Revolutionary Method That Results in Less Stress, Lower Costs, and Happier Kids – Without Going to Court (Plume 2007).