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.
Attorney Adam B. Cordover has completed advanced training in interdisciplinary collaborative family law and is a member of the International Academy of Collaborative Professionals and the Collaborative Divorce Institute of Tampa Bay.
If you would like to speak with a collaborative lawyer and learn how the collaborative process can help your family, call The Law Firm of Adam B. Cordover, P.A., at 813-443-0615 or fill out our contact form.
Attorney Adam B. Cordover has completed advanced training in interdisciplinary collaborative family law and is a member of the International Academy of Collaborative Professionals and the Collaborative Divorce Institute of Tampa Bay.
If you would like to speak with a collaborative lawyer and learn how the collaborative process can help your family, call The Law Firm of Adam B. Cordover, P.A., at 813-443-0615 or fill out our contact form.
Attorney Adam B. Cordover has completed advanced training in interdisciplinary collaborative family law and is a member of the International Academy of Collaborative Professionals and the Collaborative Divorce Institute of Tampa Bay.
If you would like to speak with a collaborative lawyer and learn how the collaborative process can help your family, call The Law Firm of Adam B. Cordover, P.A., at 813-443-0615 or fill out our contact form.
Attorney Juliette Ford continues her discussion on the differences between collaborative family law and traditional family law in the following clip:
Attorney Adam B. Cordover has completed advanced training in interdisciplinary collaborative family law and is a member of the International Academy of Collaborative Professionals and the Collaborative Divorce Institute of Tampa Bay.
If you would like to speak with a collaborative lawyer and learn how the collaborative process can help your family, call The Law Firm of Adam B. Cordover, P.A., at 813-443-0615 or fill out our contact form.
In the clip below, Australian lawyer Juliette Ford discusses the differences between the traditional divorce model and the collaborative family law model:
Attorney Adam B. Cordover has completed advanced training in interdisciplinary collaborative family law and is a member of the International Academy of Collaborative Professionals and the Collaborative Divorce Institute of Tampa Bay.
If you would like to speak with a collaborative lawyer and learn how the collaborative process can help your family, call The Law Firm of Adam B. Cordover, P.A., at 813-443-0615 or fill out our contact form.
Click the following link to view a video produced by the International Academy of Collaborative Professionals. The video follows Sally and Lionel, a couple that have agreed to let cameras into their interdisciplinary collaborative divorce process:
http://video.collaborativepractice.com/video/default.html
Additionally, the video expounds upon the following ten reasons to chose collaborative divorce over the traditional litigation model:
1) Lawyers are specially trained to reduce conflict and negotiate wise settlements
2) The opportunity to protect your children from the damage caused by a high conflict divorce Read more →
The collaborative law process may not be for every case. The Collaborative Divorce Institute of Tampa Bay has some suggestions to help you determine whether the collaborative approach is right for you:
Perhaps you are ready for a divorce but are unsure of whether to approach the matter using the traditional court-based solution or whether you should turn to the new growing phenomenon of Collaborative Divorce. How do you know if this alternative is right for you?
If you wish and are able to:
- Maintain a tone of respect, even when facing a difficult decision or disagreement.
- Prioritize the needs of your children.
- Listen objectively and consider the needs of you and your spouse equally.
- Work to devise creative and unique solutions to your issues.
- Plan for the future by reaching beyond your current frustration.
- Behave ethically when interacting with your spouse and other Collaborative professionals.
- Maintain control of the divorce process and not relegate it to the courts if a difficult situation arises.
Then Collaborative Divorce is a workable option for you. If this sounds like a comfortable solution for you we suggest you talk to a Collaborative lawyer or other Collaborative professional about your situation so they may help you make your final decision.
Attorney Adam B. Cordover has completed advanced training in interdisciplinary collaborative family law and is a member of the International Academy of Collaborative Professionals and the Collaborative Divorce Institute of Tampa Bay.
If you wish to schedule a consultation with a collaborative lawyer, call The Law Firm of Adam B. Cordover, P.A., at 813-443-0615 or fill out our contact form.
The following passage of an article from the Collaborative Divorce Institute of Tampa Bay discusses a collaborative law agreement, how parties are encouraged to settle rather than institute a court action, and the differences between collaborative divorce and mediation:
Once you decide that Collaborative Divorce is right for you, the first step is for each party and their attorney to sign a Collaborative Law Agreement. This agreement serves as a contract which ensures that the lawyers will act solely as settlement counsel only. By serving as settlement counsel your lawyers are contractually barred from ever going to Court in your divorce case. However, if at some point either party decides it would be more beneficial for the Court to settle a particular matter, you can terminate the Agreement at any time. This helps give you ultimate control of how your case is handled and guarantees an outcome suitable for all parties. It is important to remember that if you or the other party chooses to take a contested matter to the Court both attorneys are fired instantly and can not represent you before the court. Because the purpose of Collaborative divorce is to settle matters amicably and civilly, choosing to take a matter to the court is highly discouraged and may be to the detriment of both parties. This feature of Collaborative Divorce also enhances the possibility of a mutually pleasing outcome and encourages attorneys and clients to work in everyone’s best interest.
You may have heard the term “collaborative divorce,” but you may not know what it means. Below is an explanation from The Collaborative Divorce Institute of Tampa Bay:
What is Collaborative Law?
Collaborative Law, or Collaborative Practice, is a new way for individuals to resolve disputes peacefully and respectfully. It is an approach to dispute resolution which does not include the traditional court system. Collaborative Divorce is a specific area of Collaborative Law which gives people facing divorce the opportunity to resolve their issues amicably and with dignity by offering the invaluable resources of attorneys, mediators, and child and life therapists all at one time and in one place. It is often called a “no-court divorce.” Collaborative Law is for people who wish to work cooperatively with their partner in resolving issues, while maintaining control of their situation and working creatively to find answers that will work in the best interest of all parties, instead of leaving it up to the courts.
Collaborative family law is an innovative process that focuses on creating settlements that work for all involved. It takes discussions of intimate issues out of a public courtroom and into the private offices of attorneys and other professionals.
But is this process right for you? The Collaborative Law Institute of Texas suggests that you should consider collaborative family law if some of the following statements are true:
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