Lawlady's Divorce and Relationship Blog

Where to Go for the Latest on Collaborative Law

If you follow collaborative law professionally, you will likely want to add Pauline Tesler's Blog to your reading list.  She's the mother of the movement and began a blog in January.  Generally, she is very current on the latest news and court matters concerning collaborative law.   

Collaborative Divorce, The Hottest Trend in Divorce

Here's a collaborative law recommendation for you, in case you were wondering about this superb method of divorce.  Retired Judge Roderic Duncan, age 72, formerly on the family law bench in Oakland California has written a book called  A Judge's Guide to Divorce:  Uncommon Advice from the Bench.   According to Los Angeles Times reporter Kathy Kristof, "The crux of the book is that traditional divorce brings out the worst in people and the result is that couples end up supporting the college aspirations of their lawyer's lawyers' children rather than their own kids." 

Kristof quotes him saying,  "When I looked back at it after retirement, it became so clear to me that we created a system where the impetus is to fight and contest and nobody gets the result they want," Her article then goes on to describe collaborative divorce as the hottest trend in divorce.  I can't tell if the 74 year old judge said that in his book, or that's the opinion of Kristof.   

If I had unlimited hours to read divorce books, this one would certainly be on my list. 

Taking Collaborative Law to Underserved Groups

The international collaborative law group, Collaborative Practice  (also known as the IACP), is calling for proposals to present at the October 2007 IACP annual conference.  The cut off is March 30th, in just a few days.  This year's theme is expanding the practice globally and into diverse populations.  In support of this year's theme, the group is also offering grants to collaborative groups "to expand awareness and availability of Collaborative Practice to underserved communities," according to its website. 

If you are in the collaborative community looking for a passionate cause to get involved with consider bringing this model to an underserved community.  You can download the mini-application off the first page of the IACP website. 

Rotary's Four-Way Test for an Excellent Life

Here is some language to ponder, taken from the Rotary International website. 

1. Is it the TRUTH?

2. Is it FAIR to all concerned?

3. Will it build GOODWILL and BETTER FRIENDSHIPS?

4. Will it be BENEFICIAL to all concerned?"

In 1932, Rotarian Herbert J. Taylor who would later serve as the group's president, outlined the "four-way test" as a guide to ethical standards for professionals in their work lives.  I think this is an excellent policy for anyone to live by. 

Kithe: Collaborative Divorce in Seattle and Bellevue

Lawlady Inc. is a divorce law firm in Seattle.  Kithe Collaborative Divorce is the collaborative divorce practice group that we belong to.   The two attorney members of Lawlady Inc are also members of  Kithe.   The difference between a law firm and a collaborative divorce practice group is that a law firm is comprised of attorneys and the staff supporting the attorneys.  Lawyers are not allowed to share profits with non-lawyers and it has been customary in our industry that we can't be business partners with non-lawyers. Thus, in order for lawyers to provide other non-legal services to clients, we typically d0 this through associations with allied professionals who are independent from the law firm. 

A collaborative divorce practice group is a place where the allied independent professionals come together with divorce attorneys to get to know one another, discuss issues that arise in handling collaborative divorce cases, develop a protocol as to how we do collaborative cases, and to share a joint marketing to the community.  In my particular practice group, Kithe Collaborative Divorce or Seattle and Bellevue, we also consider ourselves friends and enjoy challenging each other to provide better and better customer service to our clients.   

Kithe is featured in the March 07 issue of Seattle Metropolitan Magazine.  Check out page 27.  We're described as

a nuptial-negation squad that's cutting a new, more peaceful path towards dissolution..  After you ex-love birds blow off steam in a talk therapy session, the pros head up a number-crunching confab that results in amicably rearranged bank accounts and a family matters brainstorm that puts Junior's needs first.. 

The magazine notes that membership in the national organization International Academy of Collaborative Professionals has doubled every year since 1999.   Collaborative law, per the article, is shifting the $26 billion-a-year divorce industry.