What is the role of the Solicitor in Collaborative Family Law (CFL)?
At all times the CFL practitioner retains the professional role as legal advisor to their clients are we are bound by the ordinary rules pertaining to professional conduct. The only difference is that we negotiate collaboratively as opposed to adversely. This process works well for those parties who want to retain an element of amicability towards each other and especially if there is young children involved in the marriage breakdown. I am a member of the Collaborative Lawyers Association in Ireland, their website which gives further information/details on same is www.acp.ie. The second alternative is Mediation. The mediator is a neutral third party. Clients work with their own solicitors to obtain legal advice during the course of mediation. Mediation is a voluntary, non-binding and without prejudice (that is not open to a Court until such time as a final agreement has been agreed). It also has no formal rules of procedure so the mediator can use the process flexibly to suit the circu
