Sometimes even the best intentioned professionals’ Collaborative efforts can deteriorate into basic negotiations.  From building an agreement together, things lapse into exchanging proposals.  How can we avoid that and what can we do to return if it happens?  This is the question that guest Billie Grissom brings as we continue our conversation with Woody. Deferral to the needs of the client, our own personal growth, the indispensable value of our CP ‘group’…. are among the topics embraced in connection with her question.  We even meet Woody’s “Dispute Resolution Assistant” Rebecca. Guest:     ...

Woody and carl Michael talk about educating ‘the public’ vs teaching our colleagues about Collaborative Practice and the depths to which that public education can go, even toward preventing conflict [first clip]; and Woody shares a bit about his own journey into Peacemaking, how the paradigm shift manifests,  and about various expansions to meet clients needs while still remaining focused on peace, including incorporating litigation consultants and talk of potential outcomes in court.    [second clip]….. Couple of the references are to:   The National Center for Preventive Law   and    Americans For the Department of Peace...

Sherrie Abney and Lawrence Maxwell share what’s been going on and where it can go. Over twenty years ago a Minnesota family attorney, Stu Webb, created the collaborative dispute resolution process. Collaborative Law continues to progress nicely in the family arena. Collaborative law is an exciting tool in the alternative dispute resolution tool box. The process enables individuals, families, businesses and organizations to maintain control over their relationships with others by empowering them with the ability to resolve their disputes peaceably. Why don’t more people use the collaborative process to resolve civil disputes? For the...

Woody and carl Michael talk about Collaborative Practice as a Consumer Service Product, the value of client involvement in designing the support they need from the CP process, the role, if any, sharing personal details and ‘war stories’ by the professionals and more….. We’ll touch on even more topics as he and I continue our conversation.  Please add your comments and questions and we’ll try to integrate them into a future chat. ************* “Talking with…” is an ongoing set of videotaped discussions between carl Michael rossi and others who train, practice and/or have an interest in...

In my previous article I introduced an exciting and much needed approach to divorce called Collaborative Divorce.  I discussed how the process of Collaborative divorce empowers the divorcing couple by allowing them to structure their own divorce with the assistance of trained professionals (Financial, Mental Health, and Attorneys) whose sole job is to settle the case without having to go to court.  I pointed out that this process is faster, cheaper and much less traumatic on the divorcing couple and their children by providing a ‘safe’ environment where everyone maintains respect, honesty and dignity. I also asked the rhetorical question as...