Mixer to Feature Collaborative Divorce

Perhaps you a professional financial advisor, counselor or attorney.  During your career, you  may have wondered if litigation, when considering the financial and emotional costs of going to court, is worth it

Perhaps you are not happy in your marriage and are considering filing for divorce.  You may find yourself wishing for a better way to resolve a conflict than going to court.

Or perhaps you are a medical or educational professional.  You are tired of dealing with courts every time a client or student is unhappy with your services.  You are looking for another way that disputes can be fairly resolved.

There is another way:  collaborative law.

Collaborative law has been practiced in the United States, especially in the area of family law, for over thirty years.  Today, professionals around the country are citing the benefits of collaborative divorce over the conventional litigated divorce from the benefit to the children, to benefit to the family finances and to the reduced trauma and stress for the participants.  While collaborative law began with divorce, the significant benefits are now being reported in other areas such as personal injury, medical malpractice and probate.  

Collaborative law requires a special skill set that law schools don’t generally include. To be sure that attorneys are qualified with those skills, they receive training and certification with the IACP.   Until recently, I was the only attorney in West Virginia that was certified as a collaborative lawyer by the IACP.  Since then, two other attorneys have received the training and we have formed the West Virginia Collaborative Practice Group.

Since collaborative law is new, you may find that you have a lot of questions about how it could operate in your case or in cases involving your clients.  We are available to answer those questions! 

I will be joined by fellow collaborative practice attorneys, Jeff Molenda and Mary Binns-Davis to host a mixer on January 21st, 2016 from 5:00-7:00 p.m.  We will be hosting at the community work space, The Hub, located at 126 E. Burke Street in Martinsburg.  Please join us for free appetizers and beverages, a chance to win a door prize, and of course, a chance to visit with members of the Eastern Panhandle business and professional community.