Home Lawyers Non-Lawyers Mission Links Contacts
Collaborative Principles Guidelines for Negotiation Questions and Answers
 

9. How does Collaborative Family Law differ from mediation?

A mediator is a neutral person who assists the parties to work out a settlement. The mediator does not act for either party and does not provide legal advice. In a typical family law mediation, the clients attend mediation without their lawyers. Lawyers for each of the parties provide independent legal advice regarding any proposed agreements. In a Collaborative Family Law negotiation, each of the parties has their own lawyer present. Each lawyer will ensure his/her client is provided with legal advice about the issues. The lawyers work as a team to guide the parties to the best settlement possible.

Back to Questions and Answers