Collaborative Law:

When our clients wish to end their marriage without having to go to court, we offer this process, whereby collaboratively trained attorneys and the parties sign a contract agreeing not to litigate. Click here for more information about Collaborative Law!

Mediation:

For clients who wish to resolve their conflict without involving lawyers, we offer the help of professionally trained, bilingual mediators, in family law cases, employer/employee disputes, and landlord/tenant, neighborhood and real estate matters. Click here to learn more about mediation.

Limited Legal Services Representation:

We also provide a wide range of legal services designed to serve the clients who wish to represent themselves, and need help navigating the legal system. Click here for further useful information on how this type of representation may help you.

Professional Trainings and Consultations:

We offer trainings in English and/or Spanish for individuals, organizations and nonprofits interested in creating awareness about various dispute resolution options. To learn more about our trainings please click here. 

More about Collaborative Law

Sometimes couples disagree about what is fair and they do not know their rights. They may not have equal bargaining power and are afraid of being shortchanged in the settlement. Often they cannot agree on a parenting plan, but they are open to guidance and are willing to work with a family counselor or other professional to develop a residential schedule.

In this scenario, the choice of attorney will make or break the success of the settlement. Regardless of the size of the marital estate, two attorneys focused on low-conflict resolution should be able to resolve the issues. To do this, they may enlist other professionals, such as financial planners and family counselors, to provide neutral, third-party guidance to resolve disputes.

Collaborative law is a highly effective option for a divorcing couple seeking a low-conflict resolution. In a collaborative divorce, each marriage partner selects an independent attorney from within a group of trained collaborative attorneys. These attorneys are committed to staying out of court. Both the attorneys and divorcing couple sign an agreement pledging they will not resort to litigation during the collaborative process. Financial documents and other evidence are exchanged informally and full disclosure is mandatory.

Essentially, collaborative divorce is a cooperative, rather than a threat-based approach. Each divorcing partner is encouraged to discuss their true needs and goals, without fear that it will be used against them later. The collaborative approach also includes the services of other trained and certified professionals such as financial advisors and family therapists who can coach the divorcing couple as neutral third parties if needed.

If, for some reason, the collaborative process does not result in a settlement, the divorcing couple must each hire a new attorney to appear in court. All discussions from the collaborative process are confidential and inadmissible in the litigation proceedings.

More about Mediation

Mediation is another way to settle low-conflict dissolution cases. Unlike collaborative law, mediation is used in an adversarial situation. A neutral mediator is employed to try to bring together divorcing partners who are in opposing positions.

Divorcing couples can engage in mediation with or without attorneys. Often the attorneys are litigators being required by the court to try to reach a settlement prior to trial. They continue to fight for their clients to the fullest extent, but in a less formal setting.

Mediation is most effective when it is used early in the dissolution process, before significant time and money has been put into the litigation, accusations have been made, and bad feelings have been allowed to fester.

More about limited legal representation

Some divorcing couples are able to work through the terms of their marriage dissolution quickly and easily. They discuss financial matters unemotionally. They either agree on how assets and debts will be divided or work with a financial professional to come to an amicable agreement.

Usually in these cases, both parties have relatively equal bargaining power or they trust each other. If they have children, they trust each other regarding the safety and well-being of their children and are able to communicate effectively about day-to-day parenting issues. They either agree on a residential schedule or work out a schedule that is best for the children with the help of a family counselor. Even in these cases, it is best for each party to seek independent legal counsel. The attorneys should draft the final papers to ensure the intentions of each party are clearly stated. The attorneys can also ensure that collateral documents, such as deeds and titles, are accurate and filed with the proper entity.

OUR services include:

• Drafting of legal documents and/or court orders.
• Reviewing mediated agreements.
• Legal consultation and coaching.
• Reviewing legal documents prepared by the client.
• Assisting the client in handling his or her own legal matters.
• Any other guidance designed to empower the client who wishes to represent him/herself.

More about our consultation services

Some divorcing couples are able to work through the terms of their marriage dissolution quickly and easily. They discuss financial matters unemotionally. They either agree on how assets and debts will be divided or work with a financial professional to come to an amicable agreement.

Usually in these cases, both parties have relatively equal bargaining power or they trust each other. If they have children, they trust each other regarding the safety and well-being of their children and are able to communicate effectively about day-to-day parenting issues. They either agree on a residential schedule or work out a schedule that is best for the children with the help of a family counselor. Even in these cases, it is best for each party to seek independent legal counsel. The attorneys should draft the final papers to ensure the intentions of each party are clearly stated. The attorneys can also ensure that collateral documents, such as deeds and titles, are accurate and filed with the proper entity.