Collaborative Law

A Collaborative divorce avoids the costs and conflict of divorce litigation by creating a conflict resolution process that removes the couple from the Courtroom and allows them to resolve their issues peacefully, with dignity and co-operation, while incorporating the advice and counsel of collaboratively trained professionals.

When a couple chooses to pursue collaborative divorce by means of the Collaborative Law Process, they must agree to forgo adversarial divorce proceedings. Typically, each will first hire an attorney trained in the Collaborative Law Process. The collaborative attorneys and the couple will agree, in writing, to keep the dispute out of Court. After choosing their collaborative law attorneys, the parties may choose to work with other collaboratively trained professionals, commonly referred to as team members. These team members can include a financial neutral, a child specialist, and a divorce coach. Collaboratively trained professionals can be hired by either party or shared, depending on the needs and circumstances of each family. After the parties reach a final agreement in their collaborative divorce, their agreement is incorporated into a Judgment for Dissolution of Marriage. The divorce is final when the Judge enters a Judgment for Dissolution of Marriage as an order of the Court.

Collaborative law is based on the concept that the parties share the common goal of completing the divorce process quickly, amicably, and economically. The Collaborative Law Process fosters creative solutions to family issues. Collaborative divorce is a divorce with dignity. Collaborative divorce minimizes your time in Court while prioritizing the needs and interests of your entire family. Collaborative divorce reduces the stress on the couple's children by working with the couple to reduce hostilities. By fostering a cooperative environment and placing great emphasis on the children's needs, the Collaborative Law Process helps to protect the interests of everyone in the divorce process, not just the parents.

Collaborative divorce also presents the parties with the potential to drastically reduce the costs associated with dissolution of marriage proceedings. By reducing the number of Court appearances and filings, parties committed to the Collaborative Law Process typically spend less to reach a desirable agreement. Additionally, a collaborative divorce typically takes less time to complete than a litigated divorce.

Collaborative divorce is a desirable alternative for couples seeking to avoid the conflict of divorce litigation. While the goal in any litigation is to win, there are no real winners in divorce litigation and the children are typically the biggest losers. In divorce litigation, whether or not the Judge agrees with your position, you have lost time, money spent on attorneys' fees, and very often the option of coming to a mutual agreement with your spouse. Worse still, family relationships can be irreparably harmed. Collaborative divorce, on the other hand, encourages families to focus on every family members' needs and interests, especially the needs and interests of the children.

Lyn C. Conniff has extensive training and eight years of experience in the Collaborative Law Process. She is a Fellow of the Collaborative Law Institute of Illinois and has undergone specialized training to handle divorce by means of the Collaborative Law Process. Collaborative attorneys focus on the needs and interests of all family members, and on working respectfully within a process that fosters open and honest communication among team members. Contact us to learn more about Collaborative divorce and how it can help give your family stability during an otherwise tumultuous period. Click here to download a PDF Version of Lyn Conniff's Collaborative Divorce Guide, or visit the website of the Collaborative Law Institute of Illinois at www.collablawil.org

Lyn C. Conniff Law Offices represents clients within and throughout Chicago. Our Oak Park office typically serves Chicago's western suburban communities, such as Oak Park, River Forest, Hinsdale, Riverside, Brookfield, Oak Brook, Elmhurst, Naperville, and Schaumburg. Our Chicago office has typically served clients from the north side of Chicago, as well as the northern suburbs of Evanston, Skokie, Wilmette, Glenview, Kenilworth, and Winnetka, and the southern suburbs including Flossmoor, Olympia Fields, and Palos Heights. Contact us for a consultation.