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: (Would you like to join us for our next conversation? We’ll have room for up to four people. Sign up here for our email list and we’ll be sending out details soon of how you can join in the discussion.)
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“Talking with…” is an ongoing set of videotaped discussions between carl Michael rossi and others who train, practice and/or have an interest in Collaborative Practice. If you know someone who you’d like to see in this series, send us a note at admin@theworldofcollaborativepractice.com
The “Talking with…. Woody Mosten” series is proudly sponsored by
Forrest “Woody” Mosten is a collaborative attorney (Certified Family Law Specialist) and mediator in Los Angeles who handles matters involving substantial assets and high conflict. He is a full time peacemaker and never goes to court on any case. He is in constant demand as a keynote speaker for Collaborative Law conferences (he was CP Cal’s 2011 Plenary Speaker) and trains Collaborative Practice Groups worldwide in creative convening and agreement building strategies, ethics, format design, current hot issues and future trends, and how to build a profitable peacemaking practice and most recently, has offered a Master Class for Collaborative Professionals nationwide with Pauline Tesler. He teaches Collaborative Law in law schools and is the ABA Chair on integrating Collaborative Law into law school curriculum. His 40 Hr Basic Divorce Mediation Training sells out months in advance and is recommended by Collaborative Practice Groups. Woody is the author of four books, Collaborative Divorce Handbook (2009), Mediation Career Guide (2001), Unbundling Legal Services (2000), and Complete Guide to Mediation (1997) and numerous articles on Collaborative Law, Mediation, and Unbundling Woody is the recipient of the ABA Lawyer as Problem Solver Award and Lifetime Award for Legal Access as the “Father of Unbundling and the Client Library, the Los Angeles County Bar Conflict Prevention Award, was named Peacemaker of the Year by the Southern California Mediation Association and Collaborative Member of the Month by LACFLA. He is the Guest Editor of Family Court Review’s Special Issue on Collaborative Practice (April 2011) in which he authored an article on the future of Collaborative Practice. Woody is a member of the faculty at UCLA School of Law, and can be reached at Mosten@MostenMediation.com.
EARLY COMMENTS
Mar03, 2012 Anna Maria Pittella Wonderful discussion and interplay between you all! You touched on so many common experiences we have encountered. I plan to show the video at our next pod meeting ( maybe with popcorn!) I know I felt so supported by your comments. I can’t wait to share your suggestions.
Mar01, 2012 Karen Plax This latest discussion with Woody was another outstanding offering! Thanks to Billie Grissom for providing such an important topic. I am left with many helpful ideas and several more books to read. One aspect of the situation posed by Billie that I’d be interested in hearing further responses to is the idea that some cases had not really reached impasse but were in essence highjacked by a client who became impatient or concerned about the costs. I have found clients become frustrated by the inability to make progress due to a lack of information from the other spouse or particularly in cases where a business valuation that has not been completed prevents movement forward.
Wonderful discussion and interplay between you all! You touched on so many common experiences we have encountered. I plan to show the video at our next pod meeting ( maybe with popcorn!) I know I felt so supported by your comments. I can’t wait to share your suggestions.
This latest discussion with Woody was another outstanding offering! Thanks to Billie Grissom for providing such an important topic. I am left with many helpful ideas and several more books to read. One aspect of the situation posed by Billie that I’d be interested in hearing further responses to is the idea that some cases had not really reached impasse but were in essence highjacked by a client who became impatient or concerned about the costs. I have found clients become frustrated by the inability to make progress due to a lack of information from the other spouse or particularly in cases where a business valuation that has not been completed prevents movement forward.
Billie L. Grissom
Wonderful discussion and interplay between you all! You touched on so many common experiences we have encountered. I plan to show the video at our next pod meeting ( maybe with popcorn!) I know I felt so supported by your comments. I can’t wait to share your suggestions.
This latest discussion with Woody was another outstanding offering! Thanks to Billie Grissom for providing such an important topic. I am left with many helpful ideas and several more books to read. One aspect of the situation posed by Billie that I’d be interested in hearing further responses to is the idea that some cases had not really reached impasse but were in essence highjacked by a client who became impatient or concerned about the costs. I have found clients become frustrated by the inability to make progress due to a lack of information from the other spouse or particularly in cases where a business valuation that has not been completed prevents movement forward.