Basic Collaborative Law Training

Modeling sweater styles with an old friend.
(Minneapolis training April 29, 2004) 

Collaborative Family Law Training Programs: 

The Collaborative Family Law model, as it has been embraced by attorneys, mental health professionals,  financial professionals and mediators, has been a blend of shared philosophical concepts built on interest-based negotiating and practical applications of a facilitative process to the substantive issues of family law cases. The purpose of group trainings is to provide common core principles of the collaborative process for all to follow.  The development of agreed-upon protocols for how each professional will participate in the collaborative approach on behalf of the clients, serves to support the shared goals of the parties, as well as the general membership of the collaborative practice group or team. 

Basic Training--A Two-Day Program: 

The initial training is important in establishing the basic conceptual framework of the collaborative model. The first step is to contrast the competitive approach of the traditional adversarial-adjudicatory model with the cooperative approach of the collaborative family law case. This two-day workshop begins with an examination of the sources of conflict in interpersonal relationships and identifies the process approaches which respond to the conflict issues in ways that encourage the clients to think and act more constructively to solve their problems.

 The first application of the theoretical to the practical is a demonstration role play Initial Consultation in which the clients concerns are addressed as the collaborative option is explained. Defining the various roles of the collaborating professionals, opens the door to establishing new and meaningful relationships between attorneys, mental health professionals and financial experts in the service of the divorcing clients.  

 The next phase addresses the roles of collaborative professionals in this new paradigm identifying those skills that serve the clients well and those which hinder the success of the process. Exercises include the preparation of the client for the first four-way meeting and the new dynamics of attorney to attorney communications in the development of a successful process.

 The second day of training tests the skills learned the first day by a role play that can be characterized as a "hot issue", first collaborative session. Applying collaborative approaches to crisis cases in which threats and demands are being made by the clients will demonstrate the power of the process when it is done well and the areas that need more significant development by the collaborative professionals when it does not succeed.

For more information, contact us at 831-429-9721