Ann Arbor Legal Services

Collaborative Law

Collaborative Law requires that the parties and attorneys sign an agreement to use the collaborative process, rather than the courts. The parties and attorneys voluntarily exchange ideas and information until settlement is reached. In order to reach settlement, the process involves a series of four-way meetings, mediations, etc. Often times, the parties will mutually agree to use third parties that may provide additional assistance to reach settlement, such as CPAs, financial specialists, child specialists, appraisers, etc. If no agreement is reached during the collaborative law process, and the parties decide to proceed with court involvement, then the attorneys must withdraw. The parties would then be forced to hire new counsel. A great benefit to collaborative law is that there is often less stress involved, and costs are often less expensive than traditional litigation.