Lawyers in the North West are offering divorcing or separating couples the chance to sort out their split without the drama and stress of going to Court.

The newly-formed WARRINGTON AND ST HELENS COLLABORATIVE LAW GROUP, which includes Lawyers from Northwich, Frodsham and Wilmslow is chaired by Sarah Leigh, Barrister at www.Divorce-Stayfriends.com.

This Group is the latest group of Collaborative Family Lawyers, which are setting up now all over the country to offer people  the option of avoiding court at a very stressful period in their relationship.   Sarah explains that as long as the split is relatively ‘amicable’, many couples could benefit from using Collaborative Family Law to arrange their future following on from their split, which may or may not involve children, whose needs are also considered outside of the court arena.

Sarah is keen to point out that each person chooses their own Collaborative Lawyer, who will support them throughout the Collaborative Process, answer their legal questions, and put forward their needs and views in front of their ex-partner.  Instead of taking opposing sides and communicating through Solicitors by letter, e-mail or telephone and then proceeding to court, Collaborative Law encourages a face to face approach, with each party and their Collaborative Lawyer meeting the other ‘team’ in a ‘round the table’ scenario, with open dialogue and frank discussion at the earliest opportunity, to cover the topics the parties want to discuss.

One of the founding members of the Warrington and St Helens Collaborative Law Group is Forshaws Davies Ridgway (FDR).  With offices in Warrington and Frodsham, FDR is the only practice in the area to have more than one Collaborative Lawyer.  Audrey Venables and Ruth Hetherington, Partners at FDR, are enthusiastic and committed Collaborative Lawyers.  They are of the view that if it is possible for a separating couple to use the Collaborative Law Process, then they could save time, money, and stress, compared to the usual ‘court battle’.  Collaborative Family Law also makes sure that the couple get proper advice and ‘closure’ on their split, which reduces any future claims arising from the ex-partner, which sometimes occurs with a ‘DIY divorce’. 

Audrey points out that the Collaborative Family Lawyer has a real stake in the outcome of the process being reached as quickly and efficiently as possible.  She advises that there will be times when the Collaborative Family Law Process has started but cannot continue; where negotiation falls apart through major differences of opinion, and in that case, the parties have to choose new Solicitors, so there is a big incentive for both teams to work together in focussed, meaningful dialogue to achieve a quick and satisfying outcome for both clients.  This is not always possible in the traditional court process.  The Collaborative Law Process could make things easier and less painful for those who are already experiencing stress and upheaval!

For more information on Collaborative Law visit www.resolution.org.uk, or call Audrey on 01925 230000.

The contents of this article are for the purposes of general awareness only. They do not purport to constitute legal or professional advice. The law may have changed since this article was published. Readers should not act on the basis of the information included and should take appropriate professional advice upon their own particular circumstances.