What is Collaborative Law?

For many years, all family law cases were resolved in much the same manner. While most cases were ultimately settled, there were court filings, protracted discovery using depositions, written interrogatories and production of voluminous amounts of documents, stressful hearings, and determinations made by a third party, who was able to learn only a limited amount about the family before being asked to make important decisions of long-term consequence. The court process can be lengthy, adversarial and often very destructive to families. While courts and court personnel are well-meaning and work very hard to make the best decisions they can, the process itself is limited in its ability to address all of the concerns that parties have when faced with the restructuring of their family and in the tools available for resolving these issues.

The Law Office of Constance P. Brunt is proud to be among the first in Central Pennsylvania to have offered families an alternative known as Collaborative Law. How is Collaborative Law different?

• Focuses exclusively on settlement of issues.
• Uses cooperative problem-solving and creation of solutions that are specifically suited to the unique needs of your family.
• Provides each party with the assistance and support of his/her own specially-trained and experienced family law attorney throughout the entire process.
• Allows for more personalized solutions that might not be available in the court process.
• Preserves privacy.
• Empowers you and the other party to make your own decisions about the future of your family.
• Allows for flexible timing of process to meet the particular needs of your family.
• Provides opportunity for significant cost savings and more prompt resolution of conflicts.
• Affords the opportunity to restructure your family in a dignified and respectful way.
• Offers long-term benefits to your family by preserving a respectful relationship and by helping you learn skills that will allow for more effective co-parenting and cooperative decision-making in the future.

The parties and their attorneys make a total commitment to settlement of all issues, without ever threatening or going to court. Each attorney's representation is limited solely to working with the parties in a Collaborative process to achieve an acceptable settlement. The parties sign a Collaborative Law Participation Agreement in which they commit to:

• treating all participants with courtesy and respect;
• freely and honestly exchanging and disclosing all information needed to make decisions about any issues;
• listening to and trying to understand each other's concerns and perspectives;
• focusing on the future, instead of dwelling on the past;
• working together to focus on the best interests of your children; and
• negotiating in good faith to find a "win-win" solution that will be acceptable to both parties.

The Collaborative attorneys help the parties to:

• identify and express their most important needs and concerns.
• understand the other party's concerns;
• identify, exchange and analyze information necessary for them to make informed decisions;
• create and explore many possible solutions to their issues; and
• reach an agreed settlement which meets the needs of both parties.