Santa Rosa Collaborative Law Attorney

The collaborative law movement is a reaction to dissatisfaction with outcomes and processes in traditional litigation. In collaborative law, parties are not submitting their issues to mediation or to be decided by a judge. They attempt to come to an acceptable agreement themselves, with guidance from specially trained coaches, usually marriage and family counselors. Lawyers representing the parties pledge to foster a mutually acceptable outcome, not a win-lose outcome.

Financial, child, or business valuation specialists may also be added to the team on a tailored and efficient basis to assist in developing and understanding options in those particular issues. The coaches also help facilitate constructive communication between the parties.

Collaborative law requires parties and attorneys to agree to full disclosure and no court proceedings. Even though the marriage is over, a relationship between the parties may still be necessary for the sake of the children or other interests. Thus, the collaborative approach is more supportive than mediation and less adversarial than litigation, and it is designed to foster a working relationship after the marriage is over. Moreover, the approach is usually less-costly and time-consuming than litigation.

I offer:

• Client-centered solutions focused on client needs and goals with respect for client budgets
• Private civil law practice, set within resources of large firm providing personal service with skills ranging from negotiation, mediation, collaborative practice, and litigation when necessary
• Extensive experience in transactional and contract and document preparation, handling business and real estate matters directly or within estate planning or marital estate matters
• Over 30 years experience offering client centered solutions to family law and estate planning issues. Skill sets including court litigation, negotiation, mediation, and collaborative law practice.

In my mediation and collaborative family law practice, I will help you determine exactly what your personal settlement needs are, and how we can work together to negotiate an agreement that is right for you. I have extensive training required to also be a professional mediator and alternative dispute resolution (ADR) attorney.

Contact me, California mediation lawyer Charles D. Stark to discuss ways that collaborative law can help you achieve an outcome that works for everybody.