When I see a client for the first time, the first question I often ask is, are you certain you want to take this course? You must be satisfied with your own answer, because divorce really is the last option. There are only a handful of truly defining experiences in life - military combat, a major medical condition, such as an organ transplant. Divorce is a life-shaping experience, to a much greater degree than people realize when they begin, and the process demands a level of sacrifice many don't anticipate. You come into a world of rules and procedures, and you will be bound to them - until the process is completed, which can sometimes take a year or more. There is an old saying: We lawyers may own the process, but our clients own the settlement. That's why we strive to honor our clients' value systems, and the choices they make.
I think the world of divorce has shifted fundamentally. I helped pass the legislation that has fostered less adversarial approaches. Collaborative law requires that attorneys work for their clients in ways they never did before. They agree that they cannot take the case before the court, and the agreement they work for is binding. Since my partner and I entered into collaborative law cases, we have resolved more than 100 cases - we've had to withdraw from perhaps three because an agreement could not be reached. The type of practice and commitment to the client presents a very different dynamic if the representing attorney knows they won't be heading into court with the case.
As the legal consumer becomes more and more educated, the collaborative law process is appropriate for more than simply routine cases. One case we collaborated on involved a $90 million estate. The matter was resolved fairly and in a much more cost-effective way. We are handling more and more cases on a collaborative basis - just because it makes a lot more sense
Whatever type of case we handle, I make sure we discourage anyone from taking the low road - of asserting power for power's sake, of exercising petty control and revenge. Those are destructive emotions, which have lifetime implications. Our firm strives to help transition families going through the legal process in a manner that minimizes the disruption and animosity for the future.
Throughout my career, I have had a passion for seeing the law improve, and made more responsive to what's really going on in people's lives. Today we have many methodologies for resolving disputes, which didn't exist when I started.
That's why I love what I do more than ever. We bring every method, every tool available to resolve a case. I know that having options - less painful and less expensive options - is in our clients' best interests.
