Abstract:
An online system providing an internet-based programmed application service in support of multidisciplinary collaborative divorce proceedings. The system includes an interactive introduction web page for viewing and entering information identifying the divorce proceeding and the parties involved including a bulletin board for viewing and entering short messages, an interactive information web page for viewing and entering factual information relating to the divorce proceedings including the status of relationships and financial and property data and an interactive critical path web page for viewing and entering critical path information about the issues and procedures for resolving the issues, and an interactive scheduling web page including a calendar for viewing information about the timeline of events affecting the proceeding and for entering information about new events

Description:
BACKGROUND  
       [0001]     The present invention relates to online systems for promoting collaborative activities and more particularly for internet-based systems for administering, supporting and facilitating multidisciplinary collaborative family law activities.  
         [0002]     The adversarial system of litigation in the courts does not always serve the best interests of couples going through divorce proceedings. In many cases the adversarial system can make an unfortunate situation worse and turn people whose lives were growing apart first into adversaries and then into enemies encouraged to try to get what is best for them regardless of the consequences for others including their own children. Litigation is necessary when people can&#39;t work out their own problems but is often a very inefficient way to resolve most problems. Resolving issues in this manner can consume hours and hours of time and large amounts of resources. The system often drains the emotional and financial life out of the divorcing spouses it was supposed to try to help and turns into a divisive and painful experience for all who are involved. The adversarial system often comes to control the parties rather than allowing the parties to control their divorce and the course of their own lives. The attorneys for the parties are likewise trapped by the nature of the system and many often share the acute disappointment and frustration experienced by many of their clients.  
         [0003]     Marriage has always had two separate and distinct aspects. One element is private and personal to the spouses. Within this aspect is found the elements that relate to the spouses as individuals and include such things as the emotional and rational satisfaction of each in their relationship with the other. The other aspect of marriage is legal and public. Here we find the elements of the relationship of the spouses, individually and jointly with the rest of society. This aspect contains such things as Social Security benefits attached to marital status (an example of rights relating to the government predicated on marriage), homestead rights in real estate (an example of rights binding third parties in private contracts) and/or responsibility for reciprocal medical care and support (an example of responsibilities to third parties imposed by virtue of the marriage). In addition there are rights and responsibilities of the spouses each to the other that will be enforced by the courts after the spousal relationship ends, such as alimony.  
         [0004]     Over the last several decades, not only has the expectations of the private and personal relationship between the spouses changed but the public aspects of this socio-legal relationship between individuals called marriage have undergone significant changes as well. These changes have included an increasing emphasis on the rights of each individual compared to the responsibilities of the spouses associated with the social expectations of marriage. Simply put, marriage has become more ‘rights driven’ both in its inception and its dissolution.  
         [0005]     The dissolution of the public part of marriage has always been the province of our common law court system. This system has always depended on two specific components to facilitate its functionality in society. They are its coercive authority and its universality. The coercive authority of the common law courts means two things; first that once the parties to the dispute are under the authority of the court, it is the court&#39;s determination, and not their agreement with that determination, which counts. The second flows from the first. Society has determined that the courts shall have the power to enforce its decisions, by force if necessary, even when the decision only affects the parties privately. The universality component of the common law court system means that in determining the outcome to any particular dispute, the court applies to the each individual situation (the facts) standards (the law) that apply to everyone similarly situated.  
         [0006]     Changing social mores and individual expectations have decreased the duration of the average marital relationship and conversely increased the number of dissolutions per unit population. Beginning several decades ago, our common law legal system became increasingly dysfunctional when applied to the dissolution of many marriages. A principal response was what is called ‘no fault’ divorce. This movement was essentially a bifurcation of the causes for the breakdown of the private component of the marital relationship from the exercise of the court&#39;s authority. However, this substantive bifurcation did not impact the court&#39;s procedural methodology, the adversarial processes collectively called litigation.  
         [0007]     Changing expectations as to the rights and satisfaction of the individual spouses within marriage has increasingly made litigation a poor fit and an ineffective tool in the process of marital dissolution. Beginning in the 1990s a movement began away from litigation as the sole procedural method by which to dissolve marriage. A principle component of this movement, called collaborative family law, is the agreement by the spouses and their attorneys not to use the courts to determine any of the terms by which their marriage will end. Now free to consider a wider range of factors—primarily those from the private and personal aspect of marriage, collaborative family law addresses a much wider range of issues than can be considered by the court in litigation. Because the spouses eschew the confrontational and negative elements of litigation, the collaborative process results in much less emotional damage to the parties, and moreover less such damage to their children. Because some of the inherent inefficiencies of litigation are avoided, collaboration also does much less damage to the parties&#39; present and future financial situation.  
         [0008]     Collaborative family law carries within it two new areas of concern. First, the wider field of potentially relevant considerations takes the process outside the experience and expertise of most attorneys. Second, the absence of litigation removes the case critical path that the litigation model imposes on the spouses and their legal representatives. The first concern can dealt with by the inclusion of other professional disciplines in the process, such as mental health counselors, child welfare specialists or financial advisors. However, the inclusion of these disciplines within the collaborative process presents a separate set of challenges relating to the real time coordination between the various professionals. The other issue relates to the case-by-case development of individually crafted and mutually agreed alternatives to case critical paths defined by the litigation process. Meeting these needs, unique to the multidisciplinary collaborative dissolution of marriage, is an important challenge.  
         [0009]     To help clients as people, the collaborative movement has structured proceedings to address the personal side involved in the process and help the whole client. The lawyers would provide help and guidance in the resolution of the public and legal parts of the divorce and, where needed or helpful, family therapists and other clinicians help clients as ‘coaches’ with the personal issues and changes. Collaborative divorce recognizes and structures proceedings based on the principles that reconciliation and peaceful resolution of the issues is the best outcome where such reconciliation represents the acceptance of the terms of a changing life circumstance, terms that the parties themselves collaborated in creating in a process founded on mutual respect and understanding.  
         [0010]     Moreover, there are many hardheaded reasons to collaborate. It&#39;s much more efficient, faster and much cheaper. It&#39;s less stressful on the spouses and allows their lives to return to normal sooner. It promotes cooperation with respect to continuing custody and support issues. Further, it avoids the possibility of having something unwanted and unpleasant crammed down on the spouses by the court system.  
         [0011]     Given the potential of collaborative divorce proceedings new systems need to be established that support collaborative divorce activities and assist in making them more convenient, more available to the public and more efficient.  
       SUMMARY  
       [0012]     The present invention provides a programmed system for providing an online internet-based application service in support of multidisciplinary collaborative divorce proceedings. The system includes an interactive introductory web page for viewing and entering introductory and identity related information including a bulletin board for viewing and entering short messages. The system also includes an interactive information web page for viewing and entering factual information. The system further includes an interactive critical path web page for viewing and entering critical path information. Finally, the system includes an interactive scheduling web page including a calendar for viewing and entering scheduling information.  
         [0013]     This system provides online application services featuring processing for administering, supporting and assisting multidisciplinary collaborative divorce proceedings. These services include processes essential in collaborative divorce proceedings involving the viewing and entering of information identifying the divorce proceeding and the parties, lawyers and other advisors; the viewing and entering of factual information relating to the divorce proceedings including the status of relationships and financial and property data; the viewing and entering of critical path information about the issues and procedures for resolving the issues in the case; and the viewing of a case calendar showing a timeline of events affecting the proceeding and the entering of information about new events.  
         [0014]     Key aspects of the system involve conducting online collaborative negotiations based on the interactive web pages and the presentations of information they provide including the relevant factual information, the critical issues and proposed pathways for their resolution along with the schedule of case events. The system provides the opportunity for interacting with all the other participants as factual information, outstanding issues, and pathways for issue resolution are viewed, revised and the issues moved forward step by step toward resolution in accordance with the pathways and procedures agreed upon and finally resolved.  
         [0015]     The system also includes sets of templates for the potentially relevant information and critical path web page presentations. Critical path templates may include subject categories for highlighting remaining issues and providing event sequences to resolve them. Potentially relevant information templates may include subject categories for organizing the factual information such as other people involved, hot buttons for the wife, hot buttons for the husband, real property, personal property and financial liabilities.  
         [0016]     It is an object of the present invention to provide an interactive online application service in support of collaborative divorce proceedings that can assist in making such proceedings faster, more effective and more efficient.  
         [0017]     It is another object of the present invention to provide an online application service in which factual information about divorce proceedings can be interactively viewed and entered, information about issues in divorce proceedings and pathways toward their resolution can be interactively viewed and entered and timeline and event information related to divorce proceedings can be interactively viewed and entered.  
         [0018]     It is a further object of the present invention to provide an interactive online service for use in conjunction with collaborative divorce proceedings that coordinates and enables the active participation of all the parties in defining the relevant information, identifying the key issues, defining pathways toward their resolution and moving these issues toward final resolution on a step by step basis.  
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0019]      FIG. 1  provides an overall diagrammatic view of the system of the present invention.  
         [0020]      FIGS. 2   a  and  2   b  provide screen views of the website pages and for system log on (the home page) and for case entry in accordance with the present invention.  
         [0021]      FIG. 3  provides a screen view showing the basic elements of the case information page for the present invention.  
         [0022]      FIG. 4  provides a screen view showing the basic elements of the potentially relevant information page for the present invention.  
         [0023]      FIG. 5  provides a screen view showing the basic elements of the case critical path page for the present invention.  
         [0024]      FIG. 6  provides a screen view of the basic dialog box used for both editing and adding items for presentation on the potentially relevant information and case critical path pages in accordance with the present invention.  
         [0025]      FIG. 7  provides a screen view showing the basic elements of the case timeline page for the present invention.  
         [0026]      FIG. 8  provide a screen view of a dialog box for scheduling events in accordance with the present invention.  
         [0027]      FIG. 9  provides a flow diagram illustrating the available sequences for receiving, exchanging, updating and inputting information in accordance with the system of the present invention.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0028]     Referring now to  FIG. 1 , the system  10  includes a server  12  running a collaborative divorce software application  14  programmed for providing online collaborative divorce application services over the Internet  18 . Collaborative divorce participants such as divorcing spouses, their lawyers and their other advisors and personal counselors use independent computers  20 - 25  running world wide web browser programs such as Internet Explorer by Microsoft Corporation of Redmond, Wash. to access the web site established by the collaborative divorce application  14 . The computers  20 - 25  can log onto the collaborative divorce web site and open case files that their users are involved in by entering the correct case passwords for these cases. The case files include information populating a set of web pages that comprise the web site and the software application  14  and are designed to support and assist in the collaborative divorce process.  
         [0029]     Referring now to  FIGS. 2   a  and  2   b  the website home page  30  includes a title and logo  32 , some introductory information  34  about the Advocates Network supporting the collaborative divorce movement and includes a system entry hot spot  36  entitled “Enter Eclipse CLS” (CLS for Collaborative Law System). The homepage  30  may also optionally include news announcements relating to the collaborative divorce web site and links to other topical web sites that may be of interest to the user. The user may also click on the hotspot  38  entitled “What&#39;s Behind The Portal??” for further information about the system and how to use it. The entry hotspot  36  which may be clicked on to bring up a conventional log in dialog box allowing for input of a user name and an associated password at text entry boxes. After entering correct user name and password and clicking a log in button the user is transferred case entry page  40  including further introductory information  42  about the collaborative divorce application  14  and the services it provides and also including a text entry box  44  for a case password allowing entry to case files. Case passwords are specific to each divorce case and are set up by communication with the staff running the application website which may be undertaken by clicking the password request hotspot  48 . Upon entry of a valid case password and clicking the go button  46  the user is transferred to a case information web page  50  from where all the other web pages and resources associated with the application  14  may be accessed. Alternatively, the user can log off by clicking the button log out button  47  in order to exit the website all together.  
         [0030]     Referring now to  FIG. 3 , the Case Information page  50  includes a bank  52  of contiguous, vertically aligned, square-shaped quick link buttons  60 - 65  including a home (page) button  60 , a case information button  61 , a potentially relevant information button  62 , a case critical path button  63 , a case timeline page button  64  and an application help page button  65 . The buttons  60 - 65  reside along the left hand border of the information page and may be clicked on to immediately transfer the user to these other web pages which are part of the application  14 . The Case Information page  50  includes and presents basic information  70  identifying the spouses, lawyers and other advisors and counselors participating in the proceedings. The case information page  50  also includes a medium sized Post-A-Note text viewing box  72  with a scrolling bar  76  for viewing and posting brief notes and announcements of general interest to the participants. New notes can be entered by clicking the add a new note hotspot  74  which invokes a conventional one line text entry box that overlaps with the viewing box  72  and into which the note can be typed and then added to the existing notes already populating the box  72 . The Case Information page  50  also includes edit information hotspots  80  which may be clicked on to invoke a conventional dialog box for editing or adding identification and contact information such as names, address, telephone numbers and email addresses for the divorcing spouses and an add a new case resource hot spot  82  which may be clicked on to invoke conventional dialog boxes for adding information such as names, address, telephone numbers and email addresses identifying new case resources such as lawyers, financial advisors, and personal counselors for participation in the proceedings in support of the divorcing spouses and their dependents. The dialog boxes for adding additional case resources preferably include lists that can be searched or scrolled showing approved network members registered on the website who would be available and agreeable for participation in collaborative divorce proceedings.  
         [0031]     Referring now to  FIG. 4 , the Potentially Relevant Information page  90  includes another bank  94  of quick link buttons  60 - 65  along the left margin of the page and a large text viewing box  92  adopted for presenting factual information potentially relevant to the collaborative divorce proceeding. The information is preferably presented in an outline format of including topics and subtopics with supporting information that may be processed line by line with an array  96  of separate sets  98  of editing tools  100 - 106 . The individual sets  98  of editing tools reside on the right border of the box  92  with one set of tools alongside each block of text. Upon being clicked the arrow buttons  100  and  101  allow the corresponding text block on their left to be moved one tab interval to the left or one tab interval to the right, respectively. Upon being clicked the arrow buttons  102  and  103  allow the corresponding text block on their left to be moved up one level within the outline or down one level within the outline, respectively. When the add button  104  is clicked a dialog window  110  ( FIG. 6 ) is invoked which allows a sub-point to be added to the corresponding text block on the left. When the edit button  105  is clicked a dialog window  110  is invoked which allows the information in the corresponding text block on the left to be edited. When the delete button  106  is clicked a simple dialog box is invoked which prompts the user to confirm the deletion of text block to the left.  
         [0032]     Additionally, the Potentially Relevant Information page  90  includes a bank  114  of extra buttons  120 - 123  providing miscellaneous functions positioned underneath the bank  94 . When adding or editing text blocks the user has control over the text in the box  92  on page  90  but after editing can immediately relinquish such control to another user by clicking the relinquish button  120  to avoid having other users wait for a default time out period to elapse before allowing revisions by others after the first user ceases activity. When the add a new subject group button  121  is clicked a dialog window  110  is invoked that allows a new primary subject group and heading to be added to the outline in the text box  92 . Upon being clicked the collapse points button  100  and expand points button  101  allow the primary subject points on the outline in the text box  92  to be collapsed or expanded depending on their current status, respectively. Individual subject points may be similarly collapsed or expanded by toggling the − and + symbols in the small squares along the left margin of the outline.  
         [0033]     The Potentially Relevant Information page  90  and text box  92  may be initially filled in using one or more organizational templates offering typical factually related subject points of concern in divorces from which can help prompt the participants to fill in needed background information and data. Templates are however only suggestions as to what may be important in the proceedings and to how to organize and categorize the information with the actual outline being determined by the collective judgment of the participants. A preferred Potentially Relevant Information or PRI default template and a more complete PRI alternative template are shown below:  
         [0034]     RRI Default Template  
         [0035]     People 
        Children Of the Marriage     Children of other relationships     Extended family relevant info        
 
         [0039]     Concerns—husband 
        Children     Assets/liabilities     Current income/liabilities        
 
         [0043]     Concerns—wife 
        Children     Assets/liabilities     Current income/liabilities        
 
         [0047]     Interests—husband  
         [0048]     Interests—wife  
         [0049]     Hot buttons—husband  
         [0050]     Hot buttons—wife  
         [0051]     Potential substantive issues  
         [0052]     PRI Alternative Template  
         [0053]     Circumstances of Marriage 
        Legally relevant circumstances     Individually relevant     Jointly relevant        
 
         [0057]     Children 
        Of Marriage     Of other relationships        
 
         [0060]     Assets 
        Real property 
            Marital     Post separation    
            Alternative listing 
            Income     Homestead     Recreational    
            Personal property 
            Pre marriage 
                Husband     Wife    
                Marital     Post separation 
                Husband     Wife    
                Alternative listing 
                Vehicles     Bank accounts     Investments    
               
               
 
         [0080]     Liabilities 
        Pre marriage 
            Husband     Wife    
            Marital 
            Consumer—    Short term liabilities     Long term liabilities    
            Post separation        
 
         [0089]     Referring now to  FIG. 5 , the Case Critical Path page  130  includes another bank  134  of quick link buttons  60 - 65  along the left margin of the page and a large text viewing box  132  adopted for presenting issues critical to the resolution of the collaborative divorce proceeding and procedures or proposed procedures for resolving those issues. The information is preferably presented in an outline format of including topics and subtopics with supporting information that may be processed line by line with an array  136  of separate sets  138  of editing tools  140 - 146 . The individual sets  138  of editing tools reside on the right border of the box  132  with one set of tools alongside each block of text. Upon being clicked the arrow buttons  140  and  141  allow the corresponding text block on their left to be moved one tab interval to the left or one tab interval to the right, respectively. Upon being clicked the arrow buttons  142  and  143  allow the corresponding text block on their left to be moved up one level within the outline or down one level within the outline, respectively. When the add button  144  is clicked a dialog window  110  ( FIG. 6 ) is invoked which allows a sub-point to be added to the corresponding text block on the left. When the edit button  145  is clicked a similar dialog window  110  is invoked which allows the information in the corresponding text block on the left to be edited. When the delete button  146  is clicked simple dialog box is invoked which prompts the user to confirm the deletion of text block to the left.  
         [0090]     Additionally, Case Critical Path page  130  includes a bank  154  of extra buttons  160 - 163  providing miscellaneous functions positioned underneath the bank  134 . When adding or editing text blocks the user has control over the text in the box  132  on page  130  but after editing can immediately relinquish such control to another user by clicking the relinquish button  160  to avoid having other users wait for a default time out period to elapse before allowing revisions by others after the first user ceases activity. When the add a new subject group button  161  is clicked a dialog window  110  is invoked that allows a new primary subject group and heading to be added to the outline in the text box  132 . Upon being clicked the collapse points button  160  and expand points button  161  allow the primary subject points on the outline in the text box  132  to be collapsed or expanded depending on their current status, respectively. Individual subject points may be similarly collapsed or expanded by toggling the − and + symbols in the small squares along the left margin of the outline.  
         [0091]     The Potentially Relevant Information page  130  and text box  132  may be initially filled in using one or more organizational templates offering typical issue related subject points of concern in divorces from which can help prompt the participants to identify issues, comment on issues and resolution procedures and fill in needed issue related background information. Templates are however only suggestions as to what may be important in the proceedings and to how to organize and categorize the issues and the procedures for their resolution with the actual outline being determined by the collective judgment of the participants. A preferred Case Critical Path or CCP default template and a more complete CCP alternative template are shown below:  
         [0092]     CCP Default Template  
         [0093]     Information to be gathered  
         [0094]     Scheduling/procedural plan  
         [0095]     Points already agreed  
         [0096]     Issues Remaining  
         [0097]     Agenda next 4 way  
         [0098]     Critical dates  
         [0099]     CCP Alternative Template  
         [0100]     Areas of agreement 
        Assets     Liabilities     Children 
            Visitation     Daycare costs    
               
 
         [0106]     Issues remaining 
        Children     Assets     Liabilities        
 
         [0110]     Existing support issues 
        Husband     Wife     children        
 
         [0114]     Sequence of resolution  
         [0115]     Referring now to  FIG. 6 , the dialog window  110  fills the screen in place of the text viewing boxes  92  or  132  and their editing tools and includes some brief directions  170 , a large text entry box  172  and a set  174  of radio buttons providing style options for dressing up the text. The dialog window  110  shows a different title  175  according to whether it was invoked from the Potentially Relevant Information or Case Critical Path pages. The dialog window  110  also takes slightly different forms depending on whether it is invoked for editing existing point (as shown in  FIG. 6 ), adding a new item or adding a new subject group and the directions  170  change to instruct that existing text appearing in the test box  172  may be edited, that text comprising a new may be added may by added or that a new subgroup may be in the added depending on the process by which the dialog window  110  was invoked. The dialog window  110  also includes a action button  176  that may either bear the legend edit point or add point again depending on how the window was invoked and may be clicked to initiate the actual placement from the text box  170  of the edited text, the added item or the added subgroup into the outline in the text viewing boxes  92  or  132  of the Potentially Relevant Information or Case Critical Path pages as the case may be.  
         [0116]     Referring now to  FIG. 7 , the Case Timeline page  180  includes another bank  184  of quick link buttons  60 - 65  along the left margin of the page and a case timeline  182  comprising a series of monthly calendars  184  presenting the individual days of each month in a square matrix with one week shown on each line. The days on which collaborative divorce events are scheduled to occur are highlighted in a different color and may have a different text style. The collaborative divorce events for each month are documented with short descriptions  186  that include the day, event title and event subject matter appearing along the right hand border of each month on the timeline  180 . The day within each of the descriptions  186  constitutes a hot spot which can be clicked to invoke a dialog widow  190  ( FIG. 8 ) for editing or deleting that event. The Case Timeline page  180  also includes a add a new event button  188  positioned underneath the bank  184  that invokes a similar dialog window  190  for adding an event to the case timeline  180 .  
         [0117]     Referring now to  FIG. 8 , the dialog window  190  fills the screen in place of the monthly calendars  184  and descriptions  186  and includes some brief directions  192 , a set of date entry boxes  194 , an event title entry box  195  and a large text entry box  196 . The dialog window  190  takes slightly different forms depending on whether it is invoked for editing or deleting an event (as shown in  FIG. 8 ) or adding a new event and the directions  192  change to instruct that existing event text appearing in the boxes  194 - 196  may be edited or deleted or that text comprising a new event may be added may by depending on the process by which the dialog window  190  was invoked. The dialog window  190  also includes two action buttons  198  and  199  (as shown) that bear the legends edit event or delete event or a single button in their place bearing the legend add this event again depending on how the window  190  was invoked and may be clicked to initiate the actual placement from the text from boxes  194 - 196  onto the timeline  180 .  
         [0118]     Referring now to  FIG. 9 , the flowchart  200  comprises step  205  in accordance with which a user of the collaborative divorce application  14  accesses the internet with a remote computer such as one of computers  20 - 25  and step  202  in which the user logs in to the collaborative divorce system and further provides a case password enabling entry into one of the divorce case files. Thereafter, in step  204  the user is transferred to the Case Information (web) page  50  and may enter information identifying new parties, lawyers or case resources as previously described. From the Case Information page  50  the user may use the quick link buttons  60 - 65  in the bank  52  to transfer to any of the steps  206 ,  208  or  210  representing the Potentially Relevant Information (web) page  90 , the Case Critical Path (web) page  130  or Case Timeline (web) page  180 . In step  206  at the Potentially Relevant Information page  90  the user may add or revise different types of factual information affecting the proceedings as previously described. In step  208  at the Case Critical Path page  130  the user may add or revise different types of issue information relating to the proceedings and procedures for resolving these issues as previously described. In step  210  at the Case Timeline page  180  the user may add or revise events affecting the proceedings as previously described. The user may use the quick link buttons  60 - 65  in any of the banks  52 ,  94 ,  134  or  184  to conveniently switch between the web pages representing the collaborative divorce application and steps  204 ,  206 ,  208  and  210  at any time. Moreover, the user has the ability to and is expected to add, revise and update information, issues, resolution procedures and events affecting the proceedings and iteratively evolve the information and data populating the application case file as the proceedings progress and can readily communicate all this information to the other participants on an expedited basis using the collaborative system established by the application. The participants are thereby enabled advance the progress of the case on a step-by-step basis using the application as an essential tool for administering, supporting and facilitating collaborative family law proceedings.  
         [0119]     Although the present invention has been described with reference to the specific embodiments described above, it should be recognized that changes may be made in the form and details of the invention as described without departing from spirit of the invention or the scope of the claims.