When You Are Serious About Staying Out of Court
Collaborative law is an alternative dispute resolution process designed to help couples end their marriages without the financial and emotional expense associated with a litigated divorce.
At the law offices of Brinkman & Associates in Cincinnati, Ohio, we believe that the collaborative law process can produce negotiated separation agreements that are durable, workable and serve the best interests of spouses and children. Both Karen Brinkman and Kristie Karl are trained in the collaborative process.
What Is Collaborative Law?
In the collaborative law process, the two parties and their respective attorneys sign a participation agreement, pledging that they will do everything they can to develop a separation agreement without going to court. The collaborative law approach requires full disclosure and principle-based negotiations with mutual respect that leads to effective and joint problem-solving. This agreement is then used as the basis for a dissolution of the marriage.
Should you decide to leave the collaborative process and head for the courtroom, you must find a new attorney. Lawyers who participate in the collaborative law process cannot represent the same clients in a litigated divorce. Mediation can be part of the collaborative law process, but litigation cannot.
Consensus Not Threats
In collaborative law, the focus is on resolving differences, not on presenting ultimatums or making threats. As attorneys, we are fully engaged in helping clients work through their options and build consensus. We are not distracted by developing what we could later use against the other party in court.
We may bring in financial planners, psychologists, accountants or other collaborative law professionals to assist in the process; the use of a neutral family relations specialist as part of the collaborative team is often a very valuable resource. These resource people can provide all parties with the additional information and insight you need to develop sensible solutions.
Attorney Karen R. Brinkman is a member of the Cincinnati Academy of Collaborative Professionals, an organization of attorneys and other professionals who are dedicated to helping couples resolve their differences respectfully and thoroughly without litigation.
To learn if collaborative law is the right option for you, please contact us by e-mail or call toll free 866-761-7660.
