Collaborative Law

Collaborative law is a process by which the participants agree to resolve their family law issues by negotiating the terms of settlement outside the courtroom.  Each participant will hire his or her own collaborative attorney. All sign an agreement to negotiate the settlement in a transparent, respectful manner during a series of meetings.  In the event either participant decides to litigate the issues in court, the collaborative process terminates, and both collaborative attorneys must withdraw from the case.

The collaborative method allows participants to share the cost of any experts needed by sharing a neutral specialist.  Some examples of specialists used in the collaborative process are accountants, financial planners who specialize in divorce, valuation experts and child specialists.  By choosing to share a specialist, the participants avoid the costly and litigious nature of the “battle of the experts” for each disputed issue.

Negotiating the terms of a family law dispute using the collaborative process is an alternative to costly and emotionally draining litigation.

This method can be utilized to negotiate the terms of a premarital agreement, custody and parenting time schedule, division of assets, spousal support (amount and duration) and post decree issues such as payment for college tuition and expenses.

Danielle Rickard is a trained Collaborative Attorney and Mediator who guides her clients through the maze of the family law dispute, allowing space for the client and his or her spouse or partner to jointly tailor an agreement that meets the unique needs of their family.

Call Rickard Law LLC today at (312) 981-5040 or contact us to start building your future on your terms.