Recent Articles

Collaborative Law Works in Britain, Too

Dick Price
October 27, 2008 19:00

A recent article in the American Bar Association Journal provides further support for the use of Collaborative Law in settling disputes. The article quotes a senior British judge (in the London Times) as saying that Collaborative Law is much better than traditional litigation. The growth of...

The 1st Joint Meeting -- Building a Foundation

Dick Price
October 27, 2008 05:18

Many people going through a Collaborative divorce, especially those in a hurry (which is usually just half of the parties), consider the first joint meeting to be a huge waste of time. They are anxious to get down to business and start negotiating. They don't like to discuss boring topics, such...

Another View of How to End an Impasse

Dick Price
October 09, 2008 05:18

One of the consistently best family law blogs is the Maryland Divorce Legal Crier by James J. Gross. A few days ago, he had a post about the same subject I recently discussed. Here's his take on impasse."What happens when an irresistible force meets an immovable object? A lawyer makes a settlement...

Texas Collaborative Law Blog Honored

Dick Price
September 19, 2008 04:40

The Texas Collaborative Law Blog received an honor today when it was named the LexMonitor Blog of the Day. Here is a link to the notice. It is a very nice recognition that is greatly appreciated. LexMonitor is a highly respected daily review of legal blogs and journals. We appreciate their kind...

Is Collaborative Law Cheaper than Litigation?

Dick Price
September 19, 2008 01:07

Answer: Sometimes, but it's really hard to directly compare the two systems.Collaborative Law involves having a series of relatively brief meetings to work through to settlement in an organized and efficient manner. Including the preparation and debriefing times for each meeting, my experience is...

Why Can't We Start Negotiating at the 1st Meeting?

Dick Price
September 18, 2008 05:43

It's not unusual for one or both of the parties in a family law case to be very anxious from the outset to finish the case as rapidly as possible. They are undeterred by the 60-day waiting period provided by state law for a divorce, and they don't really care if the other party isn't ready to move...

Why Do We Spend Time Writing Our Goals?

Dick Price
September 18, 2008 05:19

Some people are just impatient and some wonder why we set goals when most people going through divorces don't spend time doing it. The answer is that we need a target to focus on. Collaborative Law is interest-based, which means that negotiations take into consideration the goals, needs and...

Changing a Case to Collaborative after Filing

Dick Price
September 17, 2008 05:25

A common question people have about Collaborative Law is whether they can change a litigation case into a Collaborative case after it has been filed. The answer, thankfully, is Yes!Some Collaborative attorneys will file a petition for divorce and either include a paragraph and information about...

What if I Don't Want My Attorney to Withdraw?

Dick Price
September 17, 2008 05:01

Simple Answer: Unfortunately for you, and also fortunately for you, the attorney must withdraw in a Collaborative case if the process breaks down. That is one of the fundamental characteristics of the Collaborative process, according to the Texas Family Code. Without the requirement for the...

Do We Have to Sign a Participation Agreement?

Dick Price
September 17, 2008 04:41

Simple Answer: For the case to be considered a Collaborative Law case, a participation agreement must be signed by the parties and the attorneys. What is it? The agreement sets out in very clear language how the process works, explains confidentiality, discusses the use of neutral experts...