Is the Collaborative Law approach new?
Collaborative Law was developed in the United States primarily to counter the litigious court battles that followed when couples separated. These Court battles were costly both financially and emotionally and a more appropriate and family focused solution was developed. Having become a well-established alternative dispute resolution practice in the US Collaborative Law was introduced into the UK in 2002/2003. It has also expanded to Canada, Australia and continues to grow world-wide.
Whilst the exact methods employed by the Collaborative Law Process are relatively new to the UK, the ethos of adopting a constructive, non-aggressive approach to family matters has been advanced by conscientious family lawyers in the UK for several decades.
As part of this approach, all of the Collaborative Lawyers in QueerPod are members of Resolution. This is an organisation of family law specialists whose members aim is to avoid separation becoming a 'contest' with 'winners' and 'losers' but rather to achieve a fair outcome, putting the children first and fostering a working relationship between all those involved in the separation process.
Collaborative Law therefore compliments the aims and objectives of Resolution.