THE ADVOCATES NETWORK
  A collaborative law network
of independent professionals

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Collaborative Law?
What is this 'Collaborative Law Attitude'?
Is Collaborative Law less expensive?
Where Can I find out more about Collaborative Law?
What is a multidisciplinary network?
Is the Advocates Network just one big law firm?
What makes our members different from other attorneys?
What is the mission of The Advocates Network?

What is Collaborative Law?

'Collaborative Law' is a name given to an attitude toward resolving legal disputes and the policies and practices that put that attitude into action.  You won't find 'collaborative law' in the statutes or administrative regulations of your state, you will find it in the professionalism and integrity of those who practice law.
What is this 'Collaborative Law Attitude'?
An 'attitude' is a predisposition on how to see things.  The basic attitude marking collaborative law is of solving the problem, not fighting the fight.
People tend to find things where they look for them.  Some people look upon the civil justice system as where to go to fight.  They will find the fight they are looking for.  Some people look upon the civil justice system as a place to resolve a dispute they have with another.  Collaborative law is what they're looking for.
Is Collaborative Law less expensive?
Usually it is.  Litigation - such as a contested divorce - is very inefficient.  Rather than focusing on settling the problem, litigation focuses on fighting over it.  It is different under collaborative law principles in that both the parties and their attorneys agree to focus on solving the problem.  What takes days to accomplish under traditional adversarial litigation takes only hours under collaborative law principles.  Advocates Network member attorneys assisting their clients under a collaborative law understanding charge their usual rates.  The savings come because they get to the solution more efficiently.


Where Can I find out more about Collaborative Law?

Start right here.  Collaborative law organizations are springing up and growing all over the country.  Articles about Collaborative law principles and organizations are showing up in both the professional and mainstream media with regularity.  Some internet websites are:
What is a multidisciplinary network?
A multidisciplinary network is an association of professionals in many areas who work under the same collaborative law principles for the benefit of clients.  These professionals may be lawyers, financial planners, accountants, social works, psychologists and the like.
Is the Advocates Network just one big law firm?
No, not at all.  To the contrary, members of the Advocates Network all have complete professional independence. There is no common fee arrangement, no exchange of information about cases or clients or anything else that might interfere with the practice of their independent professional judgmenet or their actions in the best interest of their clients.
What makes our members different from other attorneys?
What makes Advocates Network Participating members different is their public committment to help those of their clients who so desire by using collaborative law principles.


What is the mission of The Advocates Network?