Collaborative Law
Austin, Texas Collaborative Law Attorney
Collaborative law is a new approach to family law cases which offers people involved in a dispute the opportunity to resolve their case without having hearings or trials. The Law Office of J. Tim Whitten, P.C. is committed to helping people resolve legal disputes using collaborative law.
I have been practicing law for fourteen years and and my practice focuses primarily on family law. As an Austin, Texas family collaborative law attorney, I am committed to helping families resolve their family law cases (divorce, modification, child custody, paternity, child support, enforcement) using collaborative law.
The collaborative law process can reduce the stress and tension. It can also be less expensive. It may be more likely that relationships can be preserved after the divorce or after the case is legally resolved. The collaborative law process generally involves the parties and attorneys meeting and attempting to resolve the case through a series of informal discussions and meetings. Information is shared and the costs or expenses of experts (appraisers, psychologists, etc.) may be shared. The parties agree from the beginning to make every effort to settle the case without going to court. If the case cannot be settled out of court, then each party must hire a new attorney and the case will take the more traditional litigation route.
The benefit of collaborative law is it may produce more balanced agreements, which are more likely to be adhered to by the parties. Additionally, since the parties agreed on the final solution there is often less animosity between the parties. This benefits the well-being of the children involved in collaborative law cases. Parents may be more likely to continue a cooperative relationship and attempt to communicate with each other for the benefit of the children. The uncertainty of having a judge decide is removed.
However, collaborative law is not appropriate for all cases. There has to be some level of trust and honesty between the parties in spite of their differences. If the case does not settle, then the case could be more expensive because new counsel will have to be obtained by each party.
If you live anywhere in Travis County, Williamson County, Caldwell County, Bastrop County, or Hays County including the communities of Austin, Georgetown, Round Rock, Bastrop, Lockhart, or San Marcos and need the services of an Austin, Texas collaborative law and mediation lawyer that stresses mutual compromise over conflict, please contact the Law Office of J. Tim Whitten, P.C. I am dedicated to helping your family move into the future.
