
Why Choose the Collaborative Family Law Approach?
Collaborative family law explained and why it’s right for you.

What is collaborative family law?
‘What is collaborative family law?’ is a question we’re repeatedly asked. Put simply, collaborative family law is a process that enables you and your partner to achieve a mutually agreeable and lasting solution for all your family issues without involving the Court.
You will both have the support, protection and guidance of specially trained collaborative solicitors and other specialists who are as committed to the process working as you are.
What are the benefits of the collaborative approach?
How to proceed with the collaborative approach
If you and your partner agree that you want to proceed with the collaborative process, you both need to have instructed collaboratively trained lawyers. This information is available either via Resolution or on our website.
The Collaborative Family Law Group (CFLG) West Midlands team is made up of Resolution accredited family lawyers.
If you have instructed a CFLG solicitor, we will speak with your partner’s solicitor to arrange a first meeting. If your partner has yet to instruct a solicitor we would happily speak to them to explain the benefits of collaborative law and can signpost them to another trained collaborative lawyer.
We will meet with you, ahead of any meeting with your partner and their solicitor, to establish those matters you wish to discuss – what is important to you, and how best to achieve the outcome you are seeking.
The collaborative process is specifically designed to resolve matters between parties without entering an adversarial and often confrontational Court process. As such, an agreement – called a Participation Agreement – is entered into at the start of the process, which stipulates that everyone intends to resolve issues without going to Court.
If an agreement can’t be reached within the collaborative process (and every effort is made to ensure this is not the case), and you decide that you want to take the matter to Court, neither party will be able to instruct the same family solicitor to represent them in Court proceedings as they had in the collaborative process.
What is collaborative family law for clients?
The collaborative approach is very much client-focused and is not driven by a solicitor’s agenda but by your own. It is a far less formal process and a much less stressful way of dealing with your important issues.
Once matters have been agreed between you and your partner, an Order will be drafted which can be filed at Court. Generally speaking, the Courts are happy to fast track these – so you should receive an approved Order sooner than you otherwise would using any other process.
This is a very brief overview of what you can expect to happen. Any one of our collaborative lawyers will give you further details and information.
START THE COLLABORATIVE PROCESS