Welcome to the Association of Collaborative Lawyers of Rockland-Westchester

The choices a divorcing couple make at the beginning of their negotiations may well determine the way their divorce turns out, the kind of relationship they have in the future, and how their children adjust. The fact that they are angry, sad, distrustful, or anxious does not mean that most are not capable of making good choices in how they manage their divorce.

In the traditional adversarial system, from the very outset, the parties are labeled and set off against one another as “opposing parties.” The concept of having the parties “opposed” to one another may unduly aggravate the divorce related issues and the inherent conflict. In attempting to resolve the issues between them in this oppositional framework, they may surrender their ability to control the situation and the process and ask the Court to ultimately determine the outcome.

The heart of collaborative law is the belief, shared by the parties and their attorneys, that it is in their best interest and in the best interests of their family to resolve differences with minimal conflict and without going to court.

The goals of Collaborative Law are:

To help the parties communicate calmly with each other and express needs, interests and emotions appropriately
To ask questions, help the parties hear each other, and offer creative and workable alternatives
To provide a safe place and organized framework for the parties to discuss each issue and reach agreement
To prepare and file all written paperwork for the court