Collaborative Family Law is fairly new to the UK. Having developed initially in the USA in the early 1990s, it has now spread to Canada, Europe and Australia.

Unlike Mediation, each person will have a Lawyer and all four participants then sign a contract, known as a Participation Agreement, which binds everyone to the Collaborative process.

If the process breaks down, the Lawyers are not permitted to continue to represent you.

Agreement is reached through a series of four way face to face meetings, with the involvement of other specially trained professionals, where necessary.

The aim is to reach agreement without recourse to the courts, but with the benefit of legal advice throughout the process. If a divorce is required, then the Lawyers will use the final agreement as the basis for court orders.

Most professionals who work within this field are members of Resolution (formerly the Solicitors Family Law Association) and adhere to their Code of Practice.

Their public website is an excellent resource.

As an Affiliate member of Resolution, I am one of a small number of Financial Planners to have achieved accreditation to work as a Financial Neutral in the Collaborative process.

As the title suggests, I act in a neutral capacity, to bring financial expertise to the meetings.

Also, I can run focused Financial Mediation sessions with the couple, to explore options to bring back to the four way process.

This can help to reduce cost. The Financial Planning download explains the processes that a Financial Neutral can assist with in more detail.

If you are unsure as to whether I can assist you, please feel free to call or email me for an informal chat about your situation.

If required, I am able to assemble a team of suitable specialists for most situations, from an extensive network of professional colleagues.