What is Collaborative Law?

In January 2000, Calabrese Huff, PC joined the collaborative family law initiative and has been a leader in the collaborative law movement in Texas.   Carla Calabrese and Winnie Huff have authored articles on collaborative law, and were honored to be guest speakers on the collaborative law movement at the November 2006 Mahon Inn of Courts meeting in Fort Worth, Texas.

Collaborative Law is a positive alternative to the traditional litigation method of handling legal disputes. In Collaborative Family Law, the parties and their attorneys commit, in writing, not to litigate their dispute but to negotiate together in good faith to reach an amicable resolution. Through a series of joint meetings, the parties and their attorneys work together using creative problem-solving strategies and interest-based negotiation to reach the best possible outcome. Thus, in Collaborative Law, the parties control the outcome rather than turning over the decision-making to an outside authority (like a judge or jury). If, after making diligent efforts and exhausting all non-judicial options for resolving their dispute, the parties are not able to reach an amicable resolution, they can still turn to the court system; however, the collaborative lawyers must withdraw and litigation counsel must be retained. In Collaborative Law, litigation is truly the last resort.

Collaborative family law has been practiced across the country for many years, and it commenced in Texas in January, 2000. In September, 2001, the Texas legislature, quickly recognizing collaborative law as a valuable and legitimate method for resolving family law disputes, enacted the first collaborative law statute in the country.

We believe most family law clients can benefit from the collaborative law approach, but the decision as to whether this approach fits your situation and meets your needs is yours. For more information on collaborative law, please see our articles section, or contact us to schedule a consultation. Also informative are the testimonials found on the What Clients and Peers Say page in this web site, which talk about the benefits of collaborative family law.