Warring couples opt to make peace

Divorcing couples are increasingly choosing to use collaborative law methods because of the credit crunch.

Law firm HBJ Gateley Wareing says the number of couples opting to settle out of court using collaborative law practices has risen by a third in the last year. This view supports a study by family lawyers’ group Resolution, which says the use of collaborative law in divorce proceedings had increased by 87% in 2006–07. Collaborative law uses amicable negotiations conducted face to face in four-way meetings between the parties and their lawyers. If either party later moves to litigation, both lawyers are disqualified from acting in the proceedings.

Sara Matheson, partner at HBJ Gateley Wareing, says: “Clients are keen to sort things out with as little further upheaval as possible. This is in part due to the credit crunch and the cost of often lengthy and acrimonious court wrangling, and in part to reduce the impact on any children involved. By opting for a collaborative legal process the chance that people can reach a solution that suits both parties is much higher, and outside the court room it is far easier to tailor a solution to suit personal circumstances.”