Collaborative Law

Collaborative Lawyer Practicing in Seattle

When people think of family law, they often envision an angry couple involved in a heated courtroom encounter. For some people, this is an accurate portrayal; for others a less abrasive reality may be possible.

Collaborative law may be the answer for people willing to negotiate the resolution of their family law issue in a more amicable way. Resolving a concern through collaborate law essentially creates a win-win situation by helping you achieve a result in a faster, less expensive manner.

At Clement Law Center, we practice collaborative law in addition to more traditional legal methods. Although collaborative law and collaborative divorce are relatively new to the State of Washington, Bruce Clement, a veteran family law attorney, is able to apply the knowledge gained in more than 30 years of experience to helping you resolve your needs as efficiently as possible.

Contact us to arrange a free consultation to discuss if collaborative law may work for you. We are able to meet with you at any of our three convenient office locations — Federal Way, Seattle, or Kirkland, Washington.

What is collaborative law?

Collaborative law is a method of alternative dispute resolution. It emphasizes coming together to collaborate on a negotiated solution to family law issues, instead of fighting and engaging in a lengthy and costly courtroom battle.

In collaborative law, each party is represented by legal counsel of their own choosing. The parties meet to develop an agreement involving divorce-related issues including:

• Division of assets and debts
• Alimony/spousal support
• Child custody and visitation
• Child Support

If at any point productive negotiations break down, the parties involved can choose another method of dissolving their marriage. However, they will need to secure different legal counsel if they wish to pursue litigation. Due to the amount of disclosure involved in collaborative law, it is unethical for either attorney to continue to represent his or her client in a litigated case.

Reasons for Choosing Collaborative Law

Collaborative law allows you and your spouse more control over the outcome of your case. Placing your case in the hands of a judge may result in a divorce decree that does not meet the needs or expectations of either party. In addition, collaborative law is often a faster, easier and less costly option for terminating a marriage.

Contact Clement Law Center

If you have questions regarding collaborative law, contact us to arrange a free consultation. We offer representation to clients from Seattle, Tacoma, Kirkland, Redmond, Bellevue, Federal Way, Kent, Auburn, Des Moines and other cities in the Greater Puget Sound region. Bruce Clement is licensed to practice in Washington and New York states.