How does collaborative law compare with mediation?
Mediation can be a valuable tool for many people. However, often, mediated agreements collapse or require extensive revision when parties take their proposed agreements to attorneys for review prior to signing. Worse, when parties have signed a mediated agreement without an attorney s prior review, they may find themselves having waived valuable legal rights. With collaborative law, attorneys are present with the parties every step of the way, so when an agreement is reached, the parties have already been fully informed and advised. At that point, the agreement is ready to sign. Most mediators do not provide legal advice. Some mediators are attorneys, others are mental health or other professionals. In collaborative law, each party has an attorney; the attorneys can provide legal information to both parties at their four-way meetings. The parties can turn to either lawyer and ask law-related questions as the meetings proceed, and both attorneys can provide input useful to both parties.
