Collaborative practice

Key practice support for your work as a collaborative practitioner

Practice support and resources

In this section, you’ll find Resolution’s suite of resources for collaborative practitioners. This includes information on the scope of collaborative practice, how you become a collaborative practitioner, routes for professional development and much more.

Please let us know if there’s anything you’d like to see included.

Latest News:

Participation Agreement

We are very pleased to publish an updated Participation Agreement and suite of accompanying resources. The documents now available to download are:

Participation Agreement (July 2021) Using easy to understand language and an accessible format, our new Participation Agreement (PA) template sets out a clear framework.

Addendum to Participation Agreement – online joint meetings This is a short addendum to be used alongside the PA in cases which will include remote meetings via video conference.

Participation Agreement template – guidance (July 2021) This guidance document aims to support you in using the new PA, outlining the options available to you and your clients.

Helping you to get the best solutions – working collaboratively This document is intended for you to give to your clients, to help explain the collaborative process and the range of professionals who may be involved.

Participation Agreement Q&A This document summarises a Question and Answer session held at the Collaborative Practice Forum in March 2021 following the launch of the Participation Agreement.

Professional development

This section includes resources that help guide you through training and what you need to do your continuing professional development.

Practice support

Collaborative Practice Forum - March 2022 - Morning Sessions

James Pirrie and Tasha Bevan-Stewart discussing what works well and not so well in collaborative practice and what the future holds for collaborative work.

Collaborative Practice Forum - March 2022 - Afternoon Sessions

A discussion about dealing with challenging situations in collaborative cases led by Cathy Sousa, with a panel of collaborative experts: Clare Webb, Stephen Hennessy, Claire Webb and Jo O’Sullivan. Followed by a Collaborative Working Party update with its Co-Chairs, Ian Hawkins and Tasha Bevan-Stewart.

MELCA - Collaborative Practice Forum - November 2021

An exciting presentation from the MELCA team with founders Marguerite Picard and Tricia Peters speaking. The presentation focussed on the benefits and practical ways of working as a team with neutrals from the outset of a case.

Afternoon sessions - Collaborative Practice Forum - November 2021

How to adopt neutrals into your Collaborative POD and practice - a panel discussion with Gary O’Brian, Kristy Tidman, Cathy Sousa. Collaborative Working Party Update with Ian Hawkins and Tasha Bevan-Stewart, Co-Chairs of the Collaborative Working Party.

Multi-disciplinary working - how other professionals can assist both lawyers and clients find solutions

Input from collaborative counsel, an arbitrator, a counsellor, financial neutral and a mediator. Opportunity to ask questions within this interactive webinar. This is from the Collaborative Practice Forum which took place on 24th March 2021.

Using the Family Solutions report to promote child consultations with collaborative lawyers

Claire Webb, Mediator with Mary Raymont. This is from the Collaborative Practice Forum which took place on 24th March 2021.

Updated Participation Agreement and guidance

Feedback and questions with Angela Lake-Carroll and David Emmerson. This is from the Collaborative Practice Forum which took place on 24th March 2021.

Collaborative Working Party update

Ian Hawkins and Tasha Bevan-Stewart (Co-chairs, Resolution Collaborative Working Party) at the Collaborative Practice Forum (19th November 2020).

Running collaborative meetings on Zoom

This session is presented by Gemma Hope (Family Law Partners).

Dealing with difficult clients

Presented by Adele Ballantyne – Family Consultant at Eleda Consultancy.

Professional Collaboration - Family Separation and Divorce

Presented by Hampshire Family Legal Solutions: Catherine Sousa, Bethan Hartley, Ann Herd and Nick Dean.

Training and Learning

Get started in DR

Resolving issues – get started in DR practice in family law.

Learning at home

Latest training and learning resources from Resolution.

Podcast: Financial neutrals and the collaborative process

In this podcast, Ian Hawkins, Mary Waring, and Phil O'Connor discuss the many benefits that can be obtained from including a financial neutral within a collaborative meeting.

Working remotely

Standards in collaborative practice

Collaborative practice is a process in which those involved in family breakdown, whether or not they’re a couple or other family members, appoint an impartial third person to assist them to communicate better with one another and reach their own agreed and informed decisions concerning some, or all, of the issues relating to separation, divorce, children, finance or property by negotiation. This section considers the different factors that make family mediation a principled and structured process.

Marketing your collaborative practice

Further information

Arbitration and collaborative practice

Further information

Listen here

Screening in the collaborative process

Further information

Listen here

Conduct of collaborative practice

We look at all the issues you need to consider when it comes to conducting a collaborative case. This includes issues such as: first meetings, financial disclosure, arrangements for children, developing options, drafting, types of payment and much more.

Collaborative process principles

Further information

Pre-participation protocol for collaborative practitioners

This protocol establishes the standards which guide the relationship and communication between collaborative lawyers in the period between first contact in a potential new collaboration and the signing of the Participation Agreement (PA).

Stages and process for collaborative practice

1. The Initial Meeting with the Client; 2. Preparation Meeting with Client for Collaborative (can be combined with 1. above); 3. First pre-four way meeting between lawyers (NB parallel or further interdisciplinary; 4. First four way meeting; 5. Intermediate four way meetings; 6. Final four way meeting

The Certainty Project

Nadia Beckett, Julian Bremner, Margaret Kelly and Karin Walker four of the main forces behind ‘The Certainty Project’ explain about this innovative way of working and how it can assist your practice at this time of change.

Family Consultants and Psychologists in Collaborative Practice

As dispute resolution practitioners, we constantly find ourselves navigating private aspects of human relationships and emotions. An experienced family lawyer and mediator confided in me that she did not feel competent in handling the emotional aspects of disputes.