Find a Collaborative Professional

If you have decided that you want to handle your case as a Collaborative Divorce, you will need to hire a Collaborative attorney. That's not necessarily an easy step because not all attorneys are trained in Collaborative Divorce. You want to make sure you start off with a trained, experienced Collaborative lawyer.

Here are some quick keys for how to find and hire a Collaborative attorney.

Make Sure the Attorney Is Actually Trained in Collaborative Divorce

Ideally, an attorney and the other professionals involved should have attended at least a two-day "basic training." Although some attorneys may try to claim that they can handle the case without it, training enables each professional to contribute more effectively to the collaborative team in helping the clients resolve the divorce. In addition, the attorney should regularly attend follow-up training to continually update his or her skills. As the practice of Collaborative Divorce evolves, it is essential that the attorneys and neutral professionals continue their training so they can keep up with new ideas.

If an attorney tries to talk you out of Collaborative Divorce and into litigation without listening to your specific situation and desires, get a second opinion.

Unfortunately, there seem to be a number of “bait and switch” attorneys who advertise that they handle Collaborative cases even though they haven’t been trained in Collaborative Divorce. If someone comes in and wants to use the Collaborative Divorce process, the attorney immediately starts telling them reasons why it would be inappropriate, without fully listening to the prospective client’s circumstances. If you get that treatment, get a second opinion.

Ask About the Attorney’s Experience in Collaborative Divorce Cases

Ask if the attorney is a member of Collaborative Divorce Texas. If the attorney is committed to the practice of Collaborative Divorce, he or she should be a member of Collaborative Divorce Texas. Ask how long he or she has been practicing Collaborative Divorce. Also, ask for the number of Collaborative Divorce cases the attorney has completed successfully. Ask for stories about how the attorney helped his or her client achieve a good outcome from the process. Ask what the attorney likes about Collaborative Divorce. An experienced attorney can easily answer those questions. A bait and switch attorney can’t.

Location

Generally, you should hire a local attorney from the county where you reside. If there aren’t many Collaborative attorneys in your county, check for an adjacent county. Don’t worry too much about the specific location of the attorney’s office. For most of the meetings, the attorneys and the professionals will work to find meeting locations that are as convenient as possible for the parties.

Good Chemistry

This is the intangible. Make sure you have a good feeling about the attorney. Trust your gut on whether this is the right attorney for you. If you follow through with these suggestions, you should end up with a good Collaborative lawyer and hopefully a more peaceful divorce experience.

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