Jon Addresses State Counseling Association

I recently had the opportunity to present to the Annual Conference of Arkansas’ Counseling Association in Hot Springs, AR regarding a paradigm shifting approach to what is called a “collaborative divorce”. A trained counselor is a part of the “team” (which includes the clients and both attorneys) who work together to solve a problem in the most constructive way possible. At the onset, the attorneys agree in writing to be disqualified from representing either party if the matter goes to litigation. The entire focus of the team is resolution, but not in a “pressure cooker” environment. Multiple meetings take place, driven by an agreed agenda, as the parties work to a much healthier win/win outcome. This approach has proved successful in many other jurisdictions. Not presently part of the attorney family law practice in Arkansas.