You know that many lawyers are even more critical than the public of the evasive and cutthroat aspects of law practice. Many are weary of scorched earth approaches to legal disputes that have them spending most of their time and talent preparing for trials that never take place. They don't believe they are serving the real or long-term interests of their clients or of society. As professionals, we don't like feeling like we are part of the problem rather than part of the solution. The question everyone keeps asking is what can be done about it, how do we break into this spiral that makes law practice less and less personally rewarding for so many and so expensive for the public.
Collaborative law offers real alternative to lawyers and to clients.
It lets the client put its money where its mouth is when it says it doesn't want a fight, just a fair resolution. And it lets a lawyer be a counselor, not a hired gun. It lets lawyers participate as advocates for their clients with the exclusive goal of creatively solving problems, something lawyers do well when freed from all of the tactical strictures of litigation. About a year ago we surveyed the lawyers in the family law group after they had completed about 40 cases. Cases are being resolved with much less animosity, in about a fourth the time and with far less cost.